


Where do we go from here?

by MissGS



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare
Genre: ABO, Alpha Alec Lightwood, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Angst, Attempt at humor (don't expect too much), Canon Divergence, Fluff, Head of the NY Institute Alec Lightwood, High Warlock of Alicante Magnus Bane, High Warlock of Brooklyn Magnus Bane, Inquisitor Alec Lightwood, M/M, Omega Magnus Bane, Omega warlocks can get pregnant, Shadowhunter Alec Lightwood, Soulmates, Strong Alpha Alec Lightwood, Supportive Catarina, Warlock Magnus Bane, supportive Raphael, supportive ragnor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-22
Updated: 2021-01-22
Packaged: 2021-03-14 06:20:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 25,534
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28916007
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissGS/pseuds/MissGS
Summary: Magnus finds his soulmate after 400 long years, but he's afraid to let him in. He's seen what that did to his best friend, Cat.Alec finds his soulmate in the most unexpected circumstances and cannot wait to spend the rest of his life with him.
Relationships: Alec Lightwood & Isabelle Lightwood, Alec Lightwood & Isabelle Lightwood & Jace Wayland, Magnus Bane & Catarina Loss, Magnus Bane & Catarina Loss & Ragnor Fell & Raphael Santiago, Magnus Bane & Ragnor Fell, Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood
Comments: 41
Kudos: 137





	1. Ghost of Clave Past

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, darlings! ❤️❤️❤️
> 
> Soooooo, I don't know what I should write here, so I'll settle for...  
> THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR CLICKING ON MY FIC AND I HOPE YOU ENJOY READING IT! (to be read as enthusiastic, not yelling 🤭)
> 
> P.S. I don't own the characters (except the original ones), they belong to the lovely Cassandra Clare. 😁  
> P.P.S It's mostly based on the show, but I've (obviously) changed some things to fit my idea. 😉

_**1820** _

„I am so happy for you, Cat! This is incredible! This is amazing! You’re going to be a mom!” Magnus was actually tearing up for his best friend that had wanted her own family for such a long time.

“Thank you, Magnus! I can’t believe it either! Who would’ve thought that my soulmate would be a Shadowhunter?” Cat sniffled and wiped away some stray happy tears that have fallen on her cheeks.

“Does he know you’re pregnant?” Magnus sits Cat down on his couch and conjures up some chamomile tea for them both.

The evening was bleeding into the night and the London air was heavy with smoke and fog, yet none of those made it inside Magnus’ home, where pure joy filled it to the brim.

“No, I haven’t had the chance yet, I only started feeling the new life in me last night and he’s been on a Clave mission for a couple of days now. I am worried, but there’s not much I can do.”

Despite soulmates being the most natural and universal truth there is, the Clave would never accept one of their own being mated with a Downworlder. Their pure angel blood should never intermingle with such low demonic creatures. Unfortunately, that small mindedness had led to many children, even angel blooded that were born from the union of a Shadowhunter and a Downworlder, having to grow up alone and fend for themselves. Most Nephilim children that had a Downworld parent would be taken under the City of Bones’ wing, have their angel blood annulled and then sent out on the streets. If they were lucky. The other ones would eventually be killed by demons for said angel blood. It was gruesome and inhumane, yet the Clave still did it anyway.

The Global Warlock Council had taken it upon themselves to search the streets long and wide for the children that were born to the Shadow World and protect and guide them. It was a non-stop work and Magnus was part of it. He himself had been the victim of abandonment, his mother committing suicide and his father having tried to kill him and he’d promised himself that he would never let another child suffer as he had.

“What are you hoping the baby to be? Shadowhunter or warlock?” Magnus asked taking Cat’s left hand in both of his.

“Magnus, I honestly don’t care, I just want them to be healthy. I’d love them and care for them either way. I’m just hoping Liam comes back soon because I can’t wait to see his face when I tell him.” Cat said happily while stroking her still flat stomach.

Unfortunately, Liam never did make it back to Cat and she had to raise her Shadowhunter son by herself. She later discovered that someone from the Clave had found out about their relationship and he was sent on that mission to “die a hero”. As heartbreaking and painful as that was, unfortunately, it wasn’t surprising. Cat should’ve seen it coming. She should have placed more protection spells on her Liam. She should’ve gone with him. She should have died with him.

Magnus was there for Catarina every step of the way. When she mourned for the loss of her soulmate at the hands of the cruel Clave. When she gave birth to Liam Jr., when she changed her first diaper, when she researched for months at a time in the Spiral Labyrinth, trying to find a way to mask her son’s Shadowhunter blood, when she gave her son away to the love of his life and when her son passed away.

Catarina was devastated. A human life was nothing in terms of time compared to the life of an immortal. Liam Jr. had refused to become a warlock and Cat had respected his wish, but that didn’t make losing him any easier.

Magnus had suffered alongside her. He had been Liam’s uncle from the day he was born. He cared for the boy like he was his son. But he could never understand the true depth of Cat’s sorrow. Magnus was there to take care of her, support her and try to share and take away some of her pain.

Losing a child changed you, Magnus noticed. Catarina, full of life and joy Cat, had changed. She became more guarded, more cautious and she oftentimes struggled to find joy in life. Many years after losing Liam Jr., she was only a shell of the person she used to be. And she had said that she understood and that she was happy that she had Liam Jr. for the 67 years that he had lived. And she was happy that she had grandkids and that they all loved her. But the heart only feels. The heart doesn’t understand and it took Cat half a century to regain the shine she had once had. But the shadow of that loss was still following her to this day.

_**1807** _

Along the years, his work with the Global Warlock Council had taken him all over the world and he had seen such gruesome things that it kept him awake at night. Tonight had been a particular difficult night for Magnus as he had found three warlock children that seemed to be siblings wandering the streets of London.

He found the warlock children scared in a corner, came running towards them, his warlock mark on full display, and knelt in front of them.

“Hello, my darlings! Are you ok? What are you doing on the streets alone?”

The oldest couldn’t have been older than 9.

“Mama said not to talk to strangers.”, said the youngest looking one, peering up through his lashes.

“Yeah, but mama kicked us out, didn’t she?”, the older one said, his tone dripping with sadness and disappointment.

"It wasn't her fault!", the youngest yelled back.

“What happened, my loves?”, Magnus said, putting a warm hand on the youngest warlock’s shoulder.

The oldest stepped in front of the other two, ready to protect his siblings, no matter the cost.

“Don’t touch them!”, he said, standing up to his full height. His small shoulders were trembling because of the cold wind outside and the small drizzle, probably because he was afraid too. Magnus cast a shield to stop the rain and warm up the air around the four of them.

“I’m not going to hurt you. I want to help you. I’m sorry for overstepping my bounds. I won’t do it again.” Magnus stayed in front of them down on one knee, but he kept his hands to himself, in sight of the three warlocks. “My name is Magnus Bane and I’m here to help you. Can I take you someplace warm?”, he asked. “If you want, we can have warm tea and butter biscuits together.”, Magnus said with a bright smile.

“Really?”, the youngest asked, already trying to push past his brother towards the promise of food.

“Get back, Noah!”, the oldest said, grabbing the youngest’s arm.

“But I’m hungry and mama isn’t coming for us!”, Noah said, tears gathering in his eyes.

“I promise I won’t hurt you, but I need to take care of you, ok?”, Magnus said in earnest.

The oldest seemed to be considering him for a second longer, but then felt his sister tug on his sleeve, her eyes wide and tearful and he finally gave in.

“Ok, but don’t you dare lay a hand on my siblings or I won’t hold back.”, the oldest said, ready to do anything to protect his siblings.

“You have my word that you’ll be safe with me.”, Magnus replied. “I will create a portal that will open in my loft here in London. There, I will have ready warm meals and beds for all three of you. Is that ok?”, Magnus asked.

The youngest, Noah, smiled wide and replied with a big “Yes!”, the girl nodded, looking up through her eyelashes and the oldest, scowled, as expected.

“Now, as you may already know, if you enter a portal not knowing its destination, you get stuck in _limbo_. May I please touch your shoulder when we enter it?”, Magnus asked the oldest, knowing that he’d never agree to Magnus coming into any contact with his siblings.

The oldest nodded shortly.

Magnus created the portal and was surprised when the oldest grabbed his hand and held on tight, Noah grabbed his other hand and their sister was holding onto the eldest's free hand. Magnus smiled warmly and stepped through the portal in the middle of his London loft.

The kids immediately let go of his hands, and the oldest rounded his siblings and prevented Noah from wandering about the apartment.

“What would you like to eat? I can summon anything you like. What’s your favorite food?”, Magnus asked, smiling wide, happy that he managed to convince them to come with him.

Noah’s eyes lit up and he started jumping up and down, listing all of his favorite foods. “Fish and chips! And meat pie! And curry! A-and bread and butter pudding! And crumble and rice pudding! And…” 

The oldest clamped his hand over Noah’s mouth and stopped his rambling. “Noah, stop it!”, he said sternly.

“No, it’s fine! I’d love to know what your favorite foods are, I want to be a good host for you!”, Magnus said quickly. “What’s your favorite food?”, Magnus asked the eldest.

He looked surprised, but whispered a small “Fish and chips.”

“Great! What about your sister?”, Magnus looked expectantly at the only child that had not spoken until then.

Both Noah and the oldest automatically stepped in front of her to protect her, but she came around them and said “Meat pie.” in a small voice and Magnus understood why she had not spoken until then. Her warlock mark, a serpent’s tongue, had manifested already and she hadn’t learned how to glamour it yet.

“Oh…”, Magnus said, slightly taken aback, but quickly recovering. “Well, then let’s start eating, shall we?” Magnus said with a wide smile and, flicking his wrist, the kitchen table was suddenly filled with all the foods the kids had mentioned and some extra as well.

“Please wash your hands first, the bathroom is that way,”, he said, pointing down the hallway to the right “and then, we’ll sit together and have dinner. Ok?”

The kids nodded enthusiastically and ran down the hallway to wash their hands. A minute later, they all came back and sat around the table, waiting patiently for Magnus to sit down as well.

“Do you need my help to fill up your plates or can you do it yourselves?”, Magnus asked.

When none of them said anything, Magnus stood up, filled three plates with fish and chips and meat pie and placed it in front of each kid. They looked at their plates, looked at each other, looked up at Magnus, thanked him and then dug in.

Just looking at them, Magnus could tell that they had been starving for a while and his heart broke. How could three kids, so young and vulnerable, be left alone, abandoned on the streets? Who would do such a thing?

He remembers having walked barefooted and hungry on the streets, afraid of his own shadow and terrified of his own powers. He remembers other kids throwing rocks at him and mocking him for being homeless. He remembers when he had to eat moldy bread from the garbage after so many days without food. He remembers curling up behind a house and looking in, hoping he’d find a family to love and care for him. He remembers being woken up by a bucket of cold water thrown at him in the middle of winter by the people living in that house. He remembers getting sick because of that cold water and having to cuddle up to a stray cat behind a garbage can for warmth. He remembers being so weak because of the high fever, that he wished his father had succeeded in killing him.

After finishing their dinner, they looked up at Magnus and he snapped out of his thoughts.

“How was it? Was it good?”, Magnus asked with a smile.

They all nodded with big smiles on their faces and looked towards the desserts.

Magnus chuckled and filled clean plates with desserts for each of them.

“What would you like to drink?”, he asked.

In one voice, they all said “Tea!”

Magnus conjured up a kettle with chamomile tea, to calm the kids down and hopefully get them to bed as well.

The oldest looked up at Magnus and said “Why haven’t you asked?”

“Pardon?”

“Why haven’t you asked us what are names are or why we were on the streets?”, the oldest said seriously.

“Because you should share that information with me only if you feel comfortable enough. It is not my place to ask you such things.”, Magnus said in earnest.

After a couple of minutes, the oldest said “My name is Arthur.”

“Nice to meet you, Arthur. I’m Magnus.”, Magnus said, extending his hand and smiling wide.

“I know, silly. You told us that before.”, Arthur said, but shook his hand nonetheless, a small smile playing on his lips.

“Uff, you’re right, I forgot.”, Magnus said chuckling.

“I’m Noah!”, a huge toothy smile on the young boy’s face.

“Nice to meet you, Noah!”, Magnus answered, smiling.

“I’m Ava.”, the girl said in a small voice.

“Nice to meet you, Ava!”, Magnus said, his voice soft and kind. The girl smiled.

When they were all done with their food, Magnus asked them if they’d like to take a shower to clean up. They all nodded enthusiastically and Magnus directed them to three different bathrooms, one of them being the one they washed their hands in. He conjured up fresh clothes for all of them and placed them inside each of the bathrooms. Before they left, Magnus asked them if he could call for a healer to check on them.

“My good friend, Catarina, is a warlock that specializes in healing. Can I call her to check on your health?”, Magnus asked, kneeling in front of the three kids.

“Is she your friend? You trust her?”, Arthur asked worried.

“With my life.”, Magnus said honestly.

“Ok then. Will she be here soon?”, Arthur continued.

“Yes, she’ll be waiting for you when you come out of your shower and as soon as she’s done, you can all go to sleep. I know you must be exhausted.”

“Alright, we’ll finish soon.”, Arthur said.

While the kids were showering, Magnus sent Catarina a fire message to ask her to come. Not five minutes later, she stepped inside the loft through a portal.

“Hello, Magnus!”, Cat said, kissing Magnus on the cheek. “Three warlock children, you said?”

“Hello, Cat! Yes, they’re currently showering, I fed them and they seem healthy overall, but I still wanted you to check on them.”, Magnus said.

They sat together in silence, waiting for the three kids to emerge from the bathrooms. Cat instantly felt sadness darkening her mood.

They were both thinking the same thing. _Will this ever end?_

Magnus and Catarina had been doing this, rescuing Shadowhunters born from the union of Shadowhunters and Downworlders and warlocks for close to two centuries now and it never seemed to get any better. They saved one, three more appeared. They will never stop, that’s for sure, but that didn’t make it any less heartbreaking.

The kids came out looking fresh, their cheeks a healthy flush and they seemed happy. Well, as happy as they could be in the presence of strangers after being abandoned on the street.

Magnus stood up, but Catarina remained seated, trying to appear as unthreatening as possible. This was not their first rodeo.

“Arthur, Ava, Noah, this is my friend, Catarina. Catarina, please meet my three new friends, Ava, Noah and Arthur.”, Magnus said.

“Nice to meet you all!”, Cat said with a wide smile.

“Are you a warlock too?”, Noah asked, eyes wide and curious.

“Oh, that’s right! I forgot!”, Cat said, clapping once.

She let her glamour drop, her beautiful blue skin and silver hair rippling underneath it.

The three kids softly gasped and Ava stepped forward.” You’re beautiful!”, she said, her eyes wide and greedy, trying to take in all of Cat.

“Thank you, Ava! So are you.”, Cat said, smiling kindly.

“May I touch your skin?”, Ava said, her voice soft and guarded.

“Of course, baby! Come.” Cat said, opening up her arms.

Ava looked at Cat shyly and climbed into her lap. Magnus noticed the boys looking at the interaction longingly and he sat back down on the couch next to Cat.

“Well, isn’t that nice? I’d like to have kids in my arms too.”, he said, looking sad and dejected.

Noah immediately ran to him and climbed into his lap. Magnus hugged him to his chest and Noah giggled happily.

Arthur stood there looking at his siblings, wondering if he could also join in on the fun. When he looked up at Magnus, he saw him patting his other knee, inviting him into his arms as well.

Arthur came closer and sat down on the couch, between Magnus and Cat. He looked at Magnus, the warlock already looking at him with a soft smile on his face.

“Am I allowed to hug you?”, Magnus asked softly.

Arthur nodded, dropping his gaze, unable to look Magnus in the eyes.

Magnus placed his left arm around Arthur’s small, shivering shoulders, Cat circling his waist with her right. Ava and Noah both came closer to Arthur and hugged him as well.

For the first time in three weeks, for the first time since they were chased out of their own home, for the first time since he had had to assume the role of protector of his siblings, Arthur allowed himself to be weak and started crying. In the safety of Magnus and Cat’s arms, surrounded by the love and care of his siblings, he allowed himself to feel the sadness, fear, the worry that tomorrow he might not find anything to eat for them, the fear that he might fail in protecting his siblings and lose them, the sorrow of losing his family and home. They were alone now. He couldn’t depend on anybody. He will have to take care of his siblings by himself.

“We’re here, Arthur.”, Cat’s soft voice broke through his thoughts. “You can lean on us, we will help you.”

“We’ve got you. You’re not alone.”, Magnus said, his voice just as soft, but definitely determined.

“Help us, please! I can’t take care of them by myself! I’m scared for them…” Arthur said, crying.

“That’s why we’re here, baby. We’ll make sure you’ll be well taken care of and that no harm will come to either of you.”, Cat said, rubbing Arthur’s back.

“We will teach you how to control your powers and how to protect yourselves. We will introduce you to warlocks that can teach you how to make a fair living and we will introduce you to the High Warlock of London to make sure he takes you under his wing. You have nothing to worry about. Just let us help you.”, Magnus said, looking at Arthur and his siblings.

“Thank you, thank you…”, Arthur said, his bottom lip still trembling slightly.

“Ok, now, how about you let me do that general check-up we talked about so that you can go to bed? I bet you’ve had a tough couple of days.”, Cat said, blue-silver sparks jumping up and down her arms.

The kids all nodded and Cat got to work. She checked all of them and only came up with slight malnourishment and general fatigue. Otherwise, they looked healthy.

Magnus directed each of them to their own rooms after showing them which one is his own bedroom and assuring them that whatever happens, they could wake him up. He then proceeded to clean up the bathrooms after them.

Later in the night, after Magnus finished updating his wards to attune them to the three new warlocks and after sending his report to the Global Warlock Council, Magnus retired for the night, leaving the lights on the hallway on for the kids.

Sometime during the night, he heard a small knock on his door. Sitting up in bed, he flicked his wrist and opened the door to find a wide-eyed, scared Arthur on the other side.

“What’s wrong, darling? Come on in.”, Magnus said, fully alert.

Arthur didn’t move, but he replied softly “I couldn’t sleep.”

Magnus got out of bed and slowly approached Arthur. He knelt down in front of him and asked, “Would you like to sleep here, with me, tonight? You can sleep with me on my bed or I could conjure up a bed for you next to mine.”

“Could I sleep…with you?” Arthur asked, wringing his fingers together.

“Of course! Come on.”, Magnus said, opening his arms for Arthur.

Arthur circled Magnus’ neck with his small arms and Magnus lifted him up into his arms.

He settled Arthur on the left side of the bed and he slid inside the covers on the right side. He carefully tucked Arthur in and asked if he’d like to hear a bedtime story. Arthur nodded.

After two bedtime stories and two more kids joining in, Magnus managed to put all the kids to sleep and fall asleep himself.

They woke up in the morning, had breakfast together and dressed up for the day ahead.

Magnus eventually found out from Arthur that his “tattooed” dad had been called at work and a day later, their home was invaded by people with “glowing knives and swords” and killed their warlock mother, but not before she managed to portal them outside the house so that they can run. They had been on the streets for close to a month when Magnus found them.

Magnus did his best to hold back his emotions, but his scent had taken a sour and bitter tint to it, so much so that even the kids noticed.

“Are you ok, Magnus?”, Arthur asked worried.

“Yes, yes, I’m fine, I’m just sad that you had to go through so much, my loves. We will protect you from now on.”, Magnus said and gathered all of them in a tight hug, finally getting himself under control and using his scent to comfort them.

It was always like this. The pain he felt for all these helpless children was so strong it temporarily took over all of his senses and for a second, he went back to the time when he himself was a lost, hurt boy that nobody wanted to help, but everybody wanted to hurt. It had been such a painful experience for him and it scarred him for life. It took decades for him to trust in people and no matter how hard he tried, he could never overcome some of his fears.

But he would do anything in his power to make sure that no other child goes through what he went through. That was his life’s mission.

Magnus contacted Ragnor Fell, one of his best friends and the current High Warlock of London and he started looking for warlocks that could take in three kids. Magnus and Ragnor found a warlock couple ready to take in all three of them and Magnus portaled himself and the kids to the warlocks’ residence.

Magnus never lost contact with the three kids or the other hundreds he had saved before, always making sure that they’re safe and happy. 

Not a day later, he heard of two Shadowhunter children roaming the streets without protection. He found them cowering in a corner in Ecclestone Square Park, away from a Ravener demon that seemed intent on ripping them apart.

Magnus blasted the demon back to hell where it belonged and tried to approach the two Shadowhunter kids.

“Hello, my darlings! Please don’t be afraid. The demon can’t hurt you any longer. Are you ok?”, Magnus asked desperate.

“Stay away! Don’t come any closer!”, one of the kids shouted. He seemed to be around 5 years old.

“Ok, ok, I won’t come any closer, but can you tell me, are you hurt?”, Magnus asked again.

“Why do you care? Do you also want our blood, like the demon did?”, the same one said.

“No, no, of course not! I have enough of my own, why would I want yours? I just want to make sure that you are unharmed, that’s it.”, Magnus said, a small smile on his face and his hands extended in front of him in an open position.

“Who are you?”, the child asked.

“My name is Magnus Bane. I’m a warlock and my job is to make sure that children of the Shadow World are well taken care of. I’m like the police, but for the Shadow World.”, Magnus answered.

“Who told you we were here?”, the boy asked again.

“I was out walking and happened to stumble upon you. I noticed that the demon had you cornered and I decided to step in.” A little white lie shouldn’t harm anyone.

“Why did you help us?”

The child had lowered his voice and it was trembling.

“Because I wanted to.” Magnus shrugged. “And because I really don’t like demons.”

“But you’re half demon, aren’t you?”, the child asked.

“I am. I don’t like my father either.”, Magnus answered honestly.

“What happens now?”, the child asked, his voice small.

“If you’d like, you can both come with me and I’ll make sure to have your wounds treated and feed and clothe you. Does that sound good?”, Magnus asked.

“Can you heal him? He’s been hit by the demon.”, the boy asked.

Magnus closed the distance between himself and the boys in two quick steps and knelt down next to them. “He’s hurt?”

“Yes, he’s bleeding.”

“We need to treat his wounds right away. Do you trust me to portal you both to safety?” Magnus asked, his voice urgent.

“Yes, please.”, the brave boy’s eyes started to water and Magnus’ heart broke.

“I’ll lift him up in my arms and I’ll hold your hand when we walk through the portal, alright?”, Magnus said, already picking up the wounded and apparently unconscious boy.

“Ok.”

Before they stepped through the portal, Magnus sent a fire message to Catarina to have her waiting for them in his loft.

By the time they stepped through the portal, Catarina was already waiting for them, prepared to heal the wounded boy.

The boy that was holding Magnus’ hand pulls on it sharply and stops.

“Who’s this?”

“This is my friend, Catarina. She’s a healer. She can make your friend better.”, Magnus said, crouching down to the boy’s level, still holding the wounded Shadowhunter in his arms.

“He’s my brother. He’s older than me and he protected me.”, the boy said in a small voice.

“He’s very brave, but he’s hurting and we need to help him now. Will you let us?”, Magnus asked, gently rubbing his small arm.

The small boy nodded and said “His name is Will. He's 10 and he's always taking care of me.”

Magnus was standing up and walking to the sofa, the small boy still holding onto his jacket. He gently laid Will down and Cat moved closer to start healing him.

“Will. That’s a very strong name. What is your name, my darling?”, Magnus asked.

“I’m Tobias.”

Magnus made sure that they would end up with a good Shadowhunters family. They were adopted by a Herondale family branch and lived with them until the Herondales died in mission and the boys were sent to the London Institute.

_**1828** _

Unfortunately, Tobias wasn’t as lucky as his older brother as he was marked by the demon the night Magnus found them and during a battle that took place in the Bavarian woods in Germany, in order to draw the demons away from his team, he ran away, the demons right behind him.

Nobody knew why he ran away and so he went down in Shadowhunters’ history as a coward, a Shadowhunter that ran and left his teammates to die, the most atrocious of sins.

The Clave claimed his wife, Eva Blackthorn’s life in exchange for Tobias’, leaving their child abandoned.

Catarina eventually found him running through the woods, hunted by demons. She couldn’t save sweet and kind Tobias, but she saved his son and she raised him as a mundane.

Magnus’ heart broke for Tobias, the boy he knew was so brave because at 4 years old, he was ready to stand up to a demon _and_ a warlock in order to protect his injured brother.

Magnus didn’t only find the frightened, hungry, injured, _alive_ Downworders and Shadowhunters, he also found their bodies. That was the most difficult part of what he and other Downworlders were doing.

Finding the small bodies contorted in fear and horror, their short days on Earth having ended in terrifying ways was awful. It was destroying Magnus’ soul. This world was too cruel for such innocent and pure souls.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not British, so I'm sorry if all the foods I wrote about in this chapter are ordinary and stereotypically British 🙏🙏🙏 They just showed up in my Google search as the top most searched British foods, so I used them as is.


	2. Let me in

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec uses the fact that they forgot to pay Magnus for the summoning of the Memory Demon as an excuse to come and spend time with Magnus.
> 
> Magnus acts perfectly pleasant, but ends up pushing the Alpha away.

_**2012** _

“Something bad is definitely coming and I don’t know if we are prepared for it.” Magnus said, looking outside on his beloved Brooklyn.

“I felt the shift in the air as well, but Magnus, whatever it is, we will stand strong and face it. Together, as always.” Cat placed a warm hand on his forearm, grounding him.

“Yes, you’re right. I might just be paranoid.”

Except, only three days after that conversation, Magnus found himself in the middle of a group of Shadowhunters asking for his help to recover Clary’s memories in their attempt to defeat Valentine. What was worse, Magnus felt his Alpha in the room and judging by the way his magic and Omega had reacted, this Alpha was definitely his soulmate. His suspicions were only confirmed when he touched Alec’s hand during the summoning of the Memory Demon and his magic surged forth and wrapped around Alec.

“Thank you so much, Magnus, for helping me.” Clary said. “What do I do now?”

“You just need to take the stone and prepare yourself. It’s going to be difficult to assimilate all the memories that have been taken from you and unfortunately, you can only do it in one sitting. My advice is lie down, have someone look over you and let it happen. You're going to need at least a day of rest after this. ” Magnus said, lightly touching Clary’s arm.

Jace moved in between them and asked Magnus “Can’t you do something to make it easier on her? _You_ are the one who took her memories anyway.”

Jace’s tone was aggressive and his scent was oppressive and vicious. Alec moved forward and grabbed Jace’s arm.

“Back off. He didn’t do it because he wanted to, he did it as a favor to Jocelyn. Take Clary and go back to the Institute.”

Alec’s Alpha voice would make the strongest Alpha cower in fear. Jace was no different, especially since he could feel how much Alec wanted to protect Magnus through the _parabatai_ bond. Still, he pushed his luck.

“Alec, you can’t be serious! He has to do his job till the end!” Jace said gesturing towards Clary.

At this point, both Clary and Izzy had moved to Jace’s side trying to pull him away, knowing that Alec was reaching his bullshit tolerance limit fast.

“Jace, Alec is right. I will be tired and I will be needing you and no one else there, next to me, ok?” Clary tried gently.

“Yes, Jace, come on, let’s go already. It’s late.” Izzy said, faking annoyance, but keeping her eye on Alec.

“Jace, leave. Now!” Alec’s word was final.

The three of them slowly made their way to the door, while Alec stayed behind to talk to Magnus.

“I apologize for my brother. I’d say he’s usually well behaved, but I’d be lying. It's been getting worse since Clary came into our lives.” Alec said with a small smile.

“Don’t worry, Alexander, nothing I haven’t seen or heard before.” Magnus said, too cheery to be true.

“Yeah…I imagine you would know the shitty part of the Nephilim people better than I do and even I find us shitty.” Alec said, anger, guilt and sadness marring his beautiful face.

“I never said all of you are…unpleasant. And it’s nothing you should feel guilty about. It is what it is and I am already well used to it.” Magnus said with a small sincere smile.

“Well, I’m changing that now. The Nephilim mentality has always been wrong and I won’t stand for it any longer. Downworlders are welcome in my Institute and no one can say otherwise. Thank you so much for your time, Magnus! I’ll get out of your hair now.”

And then he was gone.

Magnus was thorn. He’d seen what losing your soulmate _and_ your child does to a person. He’d seen how difficult it had been for Cat to accept the fact that Liam’s and her love didn’t matter in front of the Clave, that not even Liam’s life mattered in comparison to the Clave’s reputation and laws. He’d seen the devastation, the sorrow, the pain Cat went through after Liam Jr. died, despite having lived a long human life. He's seen what having to let go of Ephraim did to Cat. He wasn’t prepared to go through that. He wasn’t ready to feel the devastation he could only see on his best friend’s face. He couldn’t survive something like that, he wasn’t strong enough.

He’s seen what happens to the children whose parents were killed by the Clave and they were left alone to wander the streets and try to survive. His heart has been broken as many times as he’s found a child alone on the streets and it’s been shattered as many times as he’s found the body of a child. He felt their pain every single time, so he knew what awaited for him if he decided to give his relationship with Alec a chance: devastation.

How do you even recover after losing part of your soul? How do you piece your heart back together if part of it dies?

Magnus wasn’t ready. But his soul, his heart were yearning for that closeness, for his soulmate, for the possibility of being a parent to his own beautiful child. One that would look at him like he held the answers to all the questions in the Universe, like he could never do wrong, like his love and attention are the only things important to them.

After tending to one young warlock who had managed to get himself into trouble, Magnus makes his way back to his loft. The evening was warm, but not overwhelmingly so and he decides a portal isn’t necessary. Those 15 minutes to his loft should clear his head and the exercise should help him get rid of the extra energy and magic still buzzing through him. Two minutes after he left Elias, Magnus’ phone pings in his pocket.

**_Hello, Magnus. This is Alexander Lightwood, the Head of the New York Institute. I wanted to apologize for leaving so suddenly the other day. It’s only just occurred to me that I haven’t had the chance to give you the payment for the services rendered. Would you be available this evening? I would like to come and give you the necklace as promised._ **

Magnus was taken aback. He had completely forgotten about the payment, given that his entire attention had been focused on the Alpha that had just texted him. He wanted to see Alec again, of course he did, but he was so scared. How would he react? More worrying than that, how would his Omega react to seeing the Alpha again?

**_Hello, Alexander. You needn’t worry as it had been a very trying and exhausting night for us all. I am glad to have been of help. You don’t have to personally deliver it. I could pick it up the next time I come to reinforce the wards._ **

That would hopefully give Magnus enough time to get himself and his Omega under control or maybe just to plan something to avoid Alec altogether.

**_No, it’s not a problem. This is one of the things I am working to change at the moment, within my Institute and hopefully, the Clave as well, which is the…reluctance to pay Downworlders for their services. So, when will you be available?_ **

“Huh, reluctance. Nice way of saying it.” Magnus scoffed out loud.

Still, he wasn’t exactly ready to meet the Alpha again. Not after the last time when he almost pawed at the ground with his feet to get the Alpha’s attention.

 **_Alexander, really. I appreciate the sentiment, but no need to go out of your way for me_ ** _._

He hoped this would deter Alec’s further attempts. He was wrong.

**_No, no, I insist. That is if you’re actually free and I’m not just keeping your attention for no valid reason. If that’s the case, I’m really sorry and please forget the entire conversation._ **

Magnus didn’t actually want to hurt Alec’s feelings, so of course he replied right away.

**_No, that’s not it, I’m actually five minutes away from home and I have nothing else planned this evening. I just feel bad for taking you away from your duties as the Head of the Institute, or even worse, from a relaxing evening._ **

Alec’s reply was immediate.

**_Oh, that being so, could I drop by in, say…half an hour? Would that suit you?_ **

**_Yes, half an hour is fine._ **

**_Perfect! See you in 30 minutes then!_ **

Magnus could almost feel Alec’s enthusiasm through the phone. Unfortunately, more than enthusiastic, Magnus was scared. Of his own reactions, of the Alpha’s reactions, of pretty much everything that was related to Alec.

Magnus was on edge. He arrived home and the first thing he did was to clean up the apartment. Twice. He was still on edge though. He mixed himself a cocktail, but it wasn’t strong enough, so vodka it is. After a glass of vodka, he ran to the bathroom to check on his hair and make-up. He freshened himself up, he accentuated his make-up and made it bolder, he added red streaks into his hair and changed his shirt with a red silky one. He debated changing his slacks too, but they looked really good on him, so he kept them.

When his nerves were close to exploding, he heard the soft knocks on his front door.

Steeling himself, he walks as gracefully as possible, considering the fact that his entire body was shaking, to the door.

He opens it and is greeted by the most adorable lopsided grin on the most beautiful face he had ever seen.

“Hello, Magnus. How are you?” Alec said, slightly out of breath. He may or may not have run all the way from the Institute to Magnus’ loft.

Magnus could see a couple of Alec’s runes active and wondered why he would have needed them.

“Alexander, hi. Please, come in.” Magnus held the door wide open for Alec.

Alec walks past him and takes an appreciative look around the loft. Last time, he didn’t actually have the time, nor the state of mind necessary for something like this.

“Please make yourself comfortable. Would you like something to drink?” Magnus asked Alec, thinking, mainly, about two things. One: he definitely needed a drink to help him get through this and two: hopefully, Alec wouldn’t stay long enough to weaken his resolve of keeping the gorgeous, tall, kind and fair Alpha away.

“Thank you, Magnus. Yes, I’m not much of a drinker, but I’ll have whatever you are having.”

Alec looked and smelled delicious, Magnus thought. He’d chucked his Shadowhunter uniform in favor of a dark green button-down that made his eyes look like two radiant dark emerald gemstones and a pair of _so_ tight black jeans making his legs look like they could go on for days. He could, however, see a couple of weapons, his holster still in place and Magnus was sure that his bow and quiver weren’t far away either. His hair was a fluffy, beautiful, dark mess, thick, bold eyebrows sat beneath a smooth forehead, his left eyebrow showing a slight mark of a fight. The beautiful bright eyes that had captivated Magnus from the very first second were framed by long and luscious eyelashes, his lovely nose had an adorable dip on its tip, the strong jaw looked sharp enough to cut concrete and those full, pink kissable lips… _I could spend days on end kissing and exploring them,_ Magnus thought.

Alec’s scent, however, is what made his Omega jump restlessly in his chest, whine and demand the Alpha’s closeness. Magnus spend hours thinking about Alec’s strong scent. The scent that enveloped him was manly, grounding and still sweet enough to make his head swim. The musky, woodsy notes were intertwined with subtle fresh mint and surprisingly, cherry blossoms aromas that were highlighted by an Earl Grey tea fragrance. It was delicious and it was perfect. His Alpha’s scent was strong and sweet, calming and arousing all in one. 

_Not my Alpha, he is NOT my Alpha_ , Magnus chastised himself.

Snapping out of his Alec-Appreciation-Day moment, Magnus answers him. “I think what I’m having might be too much, but I’ll prepare some softer cocktails for us.” Magnus moved towards the drinking cart and started mixing the drinks. He was so deep in his thoughts and his senses were so overwhelmed by Alec’s presence that he didn’t even hear him come closer.

“You mix them by hand? You don’t use your magic?” Alec asked curiously over Magnus’ shoulder.

Magnus jumped at the sound of Alec’s smooth, velvety, deep voice so bad that he almost dropped the shaker. He turned around, eyes wide with surprise.

“Oh, God! Alexander, you startled me! Wear some bells, would you?” He laughed it off, though his heart had picked up its speed, almost making him dizzy. _This proximity is doing me no good._

Alec raised his hands in surrender and took an, albeit small, step back.

“Sorry, I didn’t realize you’d be so concentrated on making the cocktails. It’s not like I have the Stealth rune activated.” Alec smiled wide and bright and Magnus forgot how to breathe.

“No, of course. It’s just that I’ve had quite a long day and I must’ve retreated a bit further into my thoughts than would be polite, considering that I have a guest. I apologize.” Magnus smiled a bit.

“There’s no need to apologize. I startled you, remember?” Alec said with a small chuckle. “Do you want to tell me about it? About your day? I mean, you don’t have to, but it might help organize those thoughts that keep on stealing your attention from this guest of yours.” Alec’s eyes were warm and his smile was almost carefree, were it not for the constant visible burden of being the Head of the New York Institute that he had to carry.

“No, don’t worry. I’m sure you don’t want to waste your evening listening to an old warlock complaining about his people.” Magnus dismissed him and turned to keep on preparing their drinks.

“Well, who said it’s going to be a waste? As the Head of my Institute and initiator of the Downworld Communication Program and soon the Downworld Cabinet, I can see no better use of my time than to talk with one of the leaders of the Downworld. The best one, I might add.” Alec had taken on his soldier pose and tried to make it look business, when in fact he was just looking for a reason to spend more time with Magnus.

Magnus couldn’t really see a way out, so he just started talking about his day.

“Being the High Warlock has always been one of my favorite jobs and, believe me, I’ve had quite a few, so I know what I’m talking about.” Magnus chuckles a bit. “But as satisfying as this job is, it also comes with troubles, as you well know, since I’m sure it’s the same for you.” Magnus chances a look at Alec and sees that the Alpha is paying close attention to him. He feels a bit self-conscious, despite having taken the time to freshen up. He clears his throat and continues. “Today was one of those days when the troubles kept on coming and never stopped. First thing in the morning, I had to portal to Japan because one of my good friends was feeling really sick and as it turns out, after 200 years he was finally having his first heat. He’d thought all this time that he was a Beta since he never manifested as anything else. I helped him go through the worst of it and returned five hours later, in hopes that I could continue brewing my potions. I’m a bit behind on that, you see.”

Before Magnus could continue with his story, Alec interrupted him, his voice strong and a bit angry.

“How exactly did you help this warlock friend with his heat?” Even his eyebrows had drawn together.

“Well, there’s a potion that I can brew quite quickly that reduces his symptoms to a light fever, it thins his scent to a closer to normal intensity and it reduces his, uh, desire for sexual intercourse as well. Frequent use is not recommended, but I felt it was necessary in this particular situation. Why do you ask?” Magnus had the suspicion that Alec was jealous, but he really didn’t need to. He didn’t have a reason for one, since they weren’t together and he'd never even considered Akio as a possible partner of any kind. His scent had also spiked, leaning towards musky, earthy even.

“Oh, I was just curious. I didn’t know you had a potion for that. Please continue and sorry for interrupting.” Alec visibly relaxed, all but confirming Magnus’ suspicion out loud.

“No worries. I like it better when it’s a dialogue, rather than just me talking like a blabbermouth.” Magnus said with a small smile. “Anyway, I came back and as soon as I entered my apothecary, I received a fire message from the High Warlock of London and one of my best friends, Ragnor Fell, asking me to come as soon as possible. I portaled there a second later, to find him quite distressed. He told me that some of the warlocks in his jurisdiction had disappeared and he didn’t know how or where to find them. The entire warlock community in London was quite rattled and he wanted to warn me and to also ask me to keep a look-out for them. Nasty business.”

“What do you think happened?” Alec asks genuinely interested, since whatever happened in London might happen in New York as well.

“To be honest, I don’t know, Alexander, but it smells like foul play. I wouldn’t bat an eyelash if it was one warlock, two, three or even ten. But twenty five? That’s too many to be a vacation, especially since neither of them announced Ragnor or their respective friends and clients that they will be leaving town. I’ll just have to keep an even closer eye out for my people. I am a bit worried, I won’t lie.” Magnus bit his lip while pouring the drink into the two cocktail glasses. He handed one to Alec and asked “Should we have a seat on the couch?”

“Yes. Thank you! Lead the way.”

They sat down and as much as Alec wanted to press himself as close as possible to Magnus, he kept a respectable distance. His Alpha had reacted really strongly the last time Alec had touched Magnus and if the way Magnus’ magic wrapped around him protectively during the summon was any indication, he’d say Magnus’ Omega reacted the same way. As much as he wanted to explore the possibility of Magnus being his mate, Alec reckoned it was safer to take things slow so that Magnus wouldn’t push him away. He seemed skittish and wary even with this distance between them.

“Magnus, you know that if something happens with the warlocks, you can count on me and my Institute to do everything to help you. You know that, right?” Alec looked him straight in the eye and all Magnus could see in his eyes was honesty and determination. Even his scent had taken on a muskier note that Magnus noticed to happen when Alphas were ready to fight to protect what was theirs. The woodsy note of his scent also became stronger, the sweet fragrances taking a backseat now.

“Thank you, Alexander. It means a lot to me and my people that we have the support of our local Institute. It’s been…difficult all this time to count on Shadowhunters to have our backs since the only thing they ever did was hunt us down for our possessions and they even took our warlock marks as trophies. You might be met with resistance from the Downworld, but what you’re doing is greatly appreciated.” Magnus’ shoulders slumped a bit when he remembered the many friends he had lost to the hands of the Clave and the many kids he could not save from them and their ancient and destructive beliefs and prejudices. Alec wiggled closer to Magnus and grabbed his hand.

“I am so sorry for what you had to go through because the Clave is the ancient-minded, bigoted, cruel, unjust organization that has no right to treat other people as lower than them just because ‘the Angel blood that runs through Shadowhunters’ veins is sacred’.” Alec said, his voice angry and his scent strong and pithy. “That does not excuse anything they’ve done so far and I’m working so hard to prove them wrong. I know I still have a long way to go, but I have the support of my siblings and my Institute and hopefully, yours as well? I’ve already talked to Luke and Raphael and I know I can count on them. The Seelie Queen still gives me the heebie-jeebies. I don’t trust her, even though she promised her support for now.”

Magnus got lost in Alec’s soft touch, but calloused hand, his deep voice and steady look. His scent was soothing with a hint of fight in it.

“Of course. You have my full support, Alexander. We’ve been waiting for someone to take initiative and change things around here and I’m grateful that you’re thinking about us and including us as much as you are doing with your Shadowhunters.”

“Thank you so much, Magnus. It means the world to me to know that I have one of the strongest warlocks in my corner.” Alec’s smile was sweet and his scent even sweeter.

They looked into each other’s eyes for longer than what would be considered normal and time seemed to halt. When Magnus felt his Omega pulling him even closer to Alec, he cleared his throat and pulled back, slipping his hand from underneath Alec’s and picking up his drink.

“Anyway, as I was saying, after helping Ragnor with a couple of tracking spells that led nowhere, I came back. I barely had the time to close the portal, when a young warlock, Elias, called me and told me that he had accidentally summoned a demon.”

“Ah, yes, out sensors pinged, but for a short while. When we got there, nothing seemed to be out of order.”

“By that time, I had already managed to ban it back to Duduael. Elias confessed afterwards that it wasn’t actually a mistake, but that he had wanted to meet his real father. Needless to say, he was disappointed. Unfortunately, he wasn’t strong enough to send his father back, so he called me.”

“Well, it’s a good thing he could count on you. Summoning a demon, no matter the reason, still needs to be punished. I am really glad it got taken care of between Downworlders. Shadowhunters’ involvement would have only brought more trouble.”

Without even meaning to, Magnus starts chuckling, marveling at the honest-to-God Shadowhunter in front of him.

“Are you admitting that you’re troublesome, Alexander?” Magnus asks Alec in a voice that could be considered flirty.

Caught off guard, Alec struggles to find a comeback.

“Troublesome? Me? Nooooo. You can ask my sister, I’m sure she’d tell you just how reliable I really am.” Alec smiles smugly only to reconsider his statement a second later. “Actually, no, don’t call Izzy. She’d take any chance to embarrass me.”, scrunching his face adorably.

Magnus full on laughs now and if embarrassing himself is the reason for it, then Alec doesn’t mind having embarrassment as a companion for the rest of his life.

Magnus’ laugh is rich and smooth, making his face relax and look years younger. The little crinkles around his eyes are adorable and Alec wants to kiss each and every one of them.

Magnus finally calms down, comes back to himself and notices the fond look on Alec’s face and his scent so much sweeter and calming.

_What are you doing? You’re supposed to be pushing the Alpha away, not spending time with him and making him fall for you. Or worse yet, you falling for him._

“Anyway, that was my day. It might not look like I’ve done a lot, compared to the Head of the New York Institute, but it’s actually quite tiresome and taxing to keep portaling from one side of the world to the other, only to have to banish demons afterwards as well.” Magnus says, most of the humor now lost from his voice.

“Actually, you’ve been way busier today than I have been all week. Pushing reports to the Clave and one or two patrols definitely cannot amount to what you’ve done in a day. I really admire your strength and perseverance.” Alec looks at Magnus in awe and Magnus fights back the blush working its way up his neck.

“I’m sure that’s not how it is, but thank you.”

After a minute of, quite honestly, awkward silence, Alec reaches into his pocket and pulls out the ruby necklace that he was supposed to give Magnus a couple of days earlier.

“Um, as promised, please accept your necklace back as payment. I, however, don’t really consider it payment since this belonged to you in the first place. I don’t know how the Clave just ‘happened upon it’ “ – Alec makes air quotes and rolls his eyes – “but I know it should have never left you, no matter the circumstance. So please have it back and accept my apologies with it. If ever you are in need of a Shadowhunter at your disposal, please don’t hesitate to contact me. I might not be enough as actual payment, but I will try my best to aid you whenever you might need it.”

Alec’s steady gaze and strong voice had Magnus’ lungs working double time to draw air. Alec’s scent was stronger now and Magnus realized that this is how a determined Alec looked and smelled like.

“This necklace has a long story and I’m sure it’s not only the Clave’s fault that it ended up in your custody.” Magnus smiles dismayed when he remembers presenting this necklace to Camille, a necklace he had worked on night and day to imbue it with as much protective magic as he knew and yielded, only for her to throw in his face that it wasn’t even that pretty and that she had sold it.

Alec noticed the change in Magnus’ demeanor, but most importantly, in his scent.

Magnus’ scent was sweet and strong, but not overwhelmingly so, its base note being sandalwood. The sandalwood note was sweetened and enhanced by subtle fragrances of amber, sweet vanilla and an undertone of burnt sugar that tied everything together. Alec could also smell something floral, maybe jasmine or orchid. Or both. When he was sad, however, his scent turned slightly bitterer than his normal scent. Alec didn’t like it. He didn’t like seeing Magnus sad.

“It’s a beautiful necklace and I can tell that you’ve put a lot of thought and love into it. I’m sorry it wasn’t appreciated.” Alec wanted to grab Magnus’ hand again and comfort him, but Magnus squared his shoulders sitting up straighter and forced himself out of the bad memories he always slipped into when thinking of Camille.

“Well, what’s done is done, no need to dwell on the past. Thank you for bringing it back to me though. Good or bad memories, that’s not important. The necklace means a lot to me and I’m happy to have it back.” Magnus smiled in what he hoped was more a smile and less a grimace and looked at Alec.

Alec knew he had no more reason to stay, but he didn’t want to leave. Just being in Magnus’ presence made his heart flutter in his chest. The man was beautiful, kind, smart, warm, intelligent and wise. He treated even Shadowhunters with respect, he opened his door for anyone in need and never expected anything in return. The Clave was wrong about him. Magnus was as close to an angel as humanly possible, in Alec’s opinion. But what pained Alec the most was that he could feel Magnus’ loneliness, his desire to be loved and accepted as he was. He could also tell that Magnus had been hurt so badly in the past that he wouldn’t allow himself such hope, the hope that maybe, just maybe love was there in front of him waiting for him to take that last step.

“Well, umm, thank you for the drink and for making time for me so late in the evening, especially after the tiring day you’ve had. I appreciate your help the other day and my offer stands. If ever you find yourself in need of help, please don’t hesitate to contact me. I’d love to come to your rescue at least once.” Alec said with a bit of a smirk playing on his lips. He knew Magnus was very powerful and most likely would never actually need his help, but a guy can hope, can’t he?

Magnus snickered a bit at Alec’s small joke and countered it with a bit of teasing of his own. “Alexander, dear, I’m hardly a damsel in distress. Though I don’t doubt I’d look great in one of those puffy long dresses.” Magnus says and rubs his chin as if he was actually considering it.

The easy teasing caught Alec off guard and he started laughing aloud, surprising even himself at his reaction.

Magnus watched with rapt attention when the Alpha’s face and body relaxed as mirth took over him, finally making him look his age. Alec always seemed to wear his heavy crown as Head of the Institute and it made him look older than his age. Laughing like that, Magnus found himself mesmerized by both Alec’s face and the sound of his laughter.

When Alec finally stopped, he looked at Magnus only to find him looking back with so much warmth and joy in his eyes that it made Alec’s chest constrict. After a moment too long passes between them, Alec finally finds his voice and replies. “Well, if you decide to change your style and become a damsel in distress, may I please be your knight in shining…well, actually, not so shining –”, Alec said looking down at his clothes, frowning adorably ” – your knight in black leather armor? I promise to rescue you from all the dragons and orcs and whatnots you find yourself captured by.”, he said with a small teasing smile.

“Sure, Alexander. Orcs sound dreadful. Wouldn’t want my pretty dresses ruined by them, after all.” Magnus said, trying his best to keep a poker face, but failing when a small smile started playing on his lips.

“Or your pretty face. You have the prettiest face I’ve ever seen on a body.” Alec meant it as teasing, but it came out in a softer and much more sincere tone than he had intended.

Magnus’ breath caught and he found himself back in the presence of the Alpha that could turn his whole world upside down. As much as he wanted to let Alec in, he was too scared. He couldn’t. Not after all the horrors he had seen.

Alec picked up on Magnus’ change of spirit and scent and realized he’d taken their _probably-flirting_ a step too far. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable. My…mouth usually doesn’t have a filter and everything I’m thinking comes out before I get a chance to control it. Not a good trait when conducting business, huh?” He tried to lighten the atmosphere, but Magnus didn’t show any reaction.

“Well, I’ve overstayed my welcome. Thank you again and I’ll see you around.”

Alec stood up and started walking to the door. His heart hurt and the last thing he wanted to do was to leave. He chanced a glance back and saw Magnus looking at him with a mixture of relief, fear and disappointment written all over his face. His scent had once again turned bitter, except this time it had taken a sour tint as well. Alec’s Alpha clawed at his chest to go back and comfort his Omega, but he couldn’t. He sent a wave of comforting scent towards Magnus before he turned and left the apartment.

Magnus watched Alec close the door and his Omega let out a pitiful whine that thankfully wasn’t heard by the Alpha. Alec’s soothing scent wrapped around Magnus, comforting him and helping him relax.

“What am I doing, falling in love when that’s the last thing I _should_ be doing?”

Magnus stood up and started pacing, but for some reason he couldn’t panic like he usually would when faced with such a problem. Alec’s lingering soothing scent was calming him down without him even wanting it to.

Magnus went to bed that night thinking about all the possibilities and the implications of his soulmate appearing after such a long time. He had to magic himself a dreamless sleep because he kept on imagining how a life next to Alec would look like.


	3. Fear is the path to sorrow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus is afraid to let Alec in and keeps on pushing him away.
> 
> Despite wanting nothing more but to be by his Omega's side, Alec pulls back and treats Magnus as he wanted: with professionalism and emotional distance.

Of course, as one would expect, Magnus had no time to think about the implications of his soulmate appearing after 400 years of life because only days later, his loft was yet again overtaken by Shadowhunters and a dying werewolf pack leader.

Magnus sent Jace and Simon to collect the necessary ingredients to stop the pack Alpha’s poison, but in the meantime, he had to keep it away from Luke’s heart so that he wouldn’t die.

Nearing the end of his powers and being close to fainting because of the exhaustion, he feels the arms of his Alpha surround him and hold him up.

“Take what you need. I’m here.”

Alec stretches his hand and Magnus doesn’t think. He barely has enough energy to hold his glamour up at this point, so he takes what Alec gives him.

And when his magic meets Alec’s angelic energy, a partial bond snaps into place, something that Magnus had only read about in the books about soulmates.

Alec pushed all his power towards Magnus, withholding nothing from him and supporting him fully.

Magnus was surprised. He had learned over the years that Shadowhunters took and never gave. They used and abused and never showed gratitude. They punished and tortured and never looked back.

Yet, here was this Shadowhunter not only willing to share his Raziel-given power, but pushing it into Magnus so much so that he was afraid Alec would faint.

When Clary came back with the potion and Luke was finally stable, Magnus allowed himself to relax, falling back into Alec’s arms.

“Are you ok?” Alec asked, worry clear in his voice and scent.

Magnus only nodded, banishing the flirty line that had come up in his brain: _I’ll always feel really good when being carefully cradled by the epitome of Tall, Dark and Handsome._

After settling Luke in the guest room and having walked out the other Shadowhunters, Alec stayed behind to help Magnus with the cleanup.

Never even lifting his head from scrubbing Magnus’ leather couch, now soaked in Luke’s blood, Alec asked “Magnus, are we going to talk about the elephant in the room? I’m your soulmate, aren’t I?”

He looks at Magnus’ back in hopes that Magnus will have the courage to actually claim him as his mate. He himself is taking a huge gamble here because he is the Head of the New York Institute, the Clave’s crown jewel. One wrong step and he could be deruned. He is risking his very life by just bringing up this topic. But his soulmate, the wonderful person who helped Shadowhunters when they needed it most, the gentle soul that is so lonely deserves that. And much more.

“I don’t understand what you’re talking about, Alexander.” Magnus wanted to keep his voice steady and strong, but it came out shaky and broken. He hated that.

“Magnus, I felt the connection the moment I saw you and I know you did too. You’re my soulma-“

“Don’t say it!” Magnus all but shouted. “Don’t say it, please.” he pleaded.

“Why? What’s wrong? What are you afraid of?” Alec slowly stood up and asked in such a gentle voice that Magnus felt his eyes water.

 _What I’m afraid of, ha. That you’re a Shadowhunter? That despite already falling for you, I know this relationship has no future? I’m afraid of having you and losing you. I’m afraid that they’ll take you away from me like they did with Cat’s Liam. I’m afraid that I wouldn’t survive if I gave birth to a Shadowhunter child and have them taken from me and be killed. I’m not strong enough to go through that._ Instead, he abruptly turns around and says:

“I’m not afraid of anything, darling. But having a Shadowhunter for a soulmate is impossible. I’m the strongest warlock in this hemisphere. Do you think I’d get, what, hitched to a Shadowhunter? Besides, you’re just a pup. I’ve been alive for hundreds of years. I was around when the Dead Sea was just a lake feeling a little poorly. Do you think a 20-something-year-old would excite me? No, darling, I’m sure you’re mistaken.” His voice came out steady now, but that was probably because he had raised it for that very reason. His chest, however, was rumbling as his Omega gave a pitiful and protesting whine. Magnus actually had to cough to cover it up. Unsuccessfully, if Alec’s look was anything to go by.

“Magnus, talk to me, please. Don’t push me away. I can feel your Omega calling out to me. What is wrong? Please.”

Alec took a tentative step towards Magnus and Magnus backed away. It was clear that he didn’t want to be anywhere near Alec.

“Magnus, I can still feel the partial bond, I can feel your magic wrapping itself around me. Don’t run away. We can talk this out, figure things out, I promise.” Alec was bordering on desperate now and Magnus hated hearing that desperation in his voice.

“Alexander, I can’t. Please. Just…leave.”

Magnus closed his eyes, hugged himself, hunching his shoulders and hoped that Alec would leave because he didn’t have it in himself to keep on pushing the Alpha away. Especially when he could smell the longing in Alec’s scent.

Alec assented to Magnus’ request and turned around to leave.

Magnus was restless. It definitely didn’t help that there was another person in his loft, even if that person was someone he knew and trusted. He couldn’t leave Luke, he had to keep an eye on him, but he needed someone to talk to. So Catarina it is.

“Magnus, why would you do that? He’s your soulmate! You’ve been waiting for him for close to 400 years.”

Magnus had confided in Cat what happened with Alexander. He needed someone on his side. He needed someone to tell him that what he was doing wasn’t wrong. He needed someone that knew what it meant to lose your soulmate. He had needed Cat. Except the fact that Cat was obviously strongly disagreeing with his decision to push Alec away.

“Cat, I can’t go through what you went through. I was there, remember? I was there when you lost Liam, I was there when you held Liam Jr.’s hand as he passed away. I was there when you had to give up Ephraim. I helped you pick yourself up and I watched you mourn their loss for decades. Hell, I’m convinced that even now, after what, 150 years, you’re still in mourning.”

“Magnus, I wouldn’t change a thing.” Cat saw Magnus snort and roll his eyes, so she pressed on.

“You old fool. There is nothing more important or fulfilling in this life than love. No feeling, human or otherwise, could ever compare to love. I was happy before I met Liam and when I met him, I realized I didn’t actually know what happiness was. And I was the happiest when I made him happy. When he looked at me, the entire world disappeared. There was no one left but us. He made me feel like the top of the world was at my feet when he caressed my cheek and whispered, “I love you.” He was ready to leave his family, his name, his angel blood for me and even though I would never have asked something like that of him, he told me that nothing was as important to him as I was and he will do it if necessary. And when I last saw him, he promised me that no matter what happens, one way or another, in two weeks or three hundred years, he’ll come back to me. Love is the strongest and most pure feeling there is. And you cannot be such a fool as to let your fear of something that may never happen stop you from reaching out to _your soulmate,_ Magnus. You finally have the chance of being a father. You can become pregnant if he really is your soulmate. You’ve been waiting for this your entire life.”

Cat was rubbing Magnus’ back in soothing circles, her voice was so soft and loving that Magnus couldn’t hold back his tears.

“Cat, you’re strong. I’ve never met anyone as strong as you. You were close to being burned at the stake and you didn’t even flinch. I would never survive something like that. Losing him would destroy me.”

“Magnus, the times have changed. This generation of Shadowhunters have started changing things for the better, especially your Alec. They are working _with_ the Downworld, not against it. Please, don’t throw your only chance at happiness away.”

Magnus was trying to hold back his tears and his magic was restless. So much so, that his hands were covered in blue sparks. Catarina hugged him and told him to rest. She was going to check on him in the morning.

When morning came, Clary, accompanied by Jace and Alec came to pick Luke up.

Just as Catarina was leaving, the three Shadowhunters were walking up to Magnus’ door.

“Hello, Alec! Good to see you again.”, Cat said, her voice friendly, acknowledging the other two with a head nod.

“Hello, Catarina! It’s good to see you too! How have you been?”, Alec asked, equally amicable.

“I’m good, thank you but I should be on my way already. I’m sorry I’m cutting this short, but I’m sure I’ll be seeing you again soon. Have a lovely day!”, Cat said, ready to leave the apartment.

“You too!”, Alec said, turning to Magnus.

“Hello, Magnus. Can we please see Luke? If he’s woken up, of course.” Alec asked, assuming his hands-clasped-behind-his-back/chest-out/legs-spread soldier pose.

Magnus was thrown off by this sudden change. Alec had been so pleasant with Catarina and now he wasn’t even smiling at Magnus. Was Alec…pulling back? But then again, he did try his best to push him back. It hurt. It wasn’t supposed to hurt…but it did. And Alec was also holding off his scent. Magnus could sense nothing from his scent.

No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t keep the longing and sadness from his own, even if it was just a whiff. Alec never reacted.

Before his Omega completely embarrassed him by whining, Magnus composed himself and replied.

“Yes, hello. Please come on in. I just checked on Luke 5 minutes ago and he was getting dressed.”

Magnus held the door open, his eyes never leaving Alec.

They were invited in the living room just as Luke was coming out of the guest bedroom.

“Luke!” Clary threw herself into her father’s arms and started crying tears of joy. “Thank the Angel you’re alright! I was so worried!”

Luke stated snickering and nudged her temple with his nose.

“Thank the Angel, huh? Since when did you start speaking like a Shadowhunter?”

“Well, she is a Shadowhunter, is she not? Even if she’s the most troublesome one to exist.” Alec said in his Head of the Institute voice, looking straight at Clary. He turned his eyes to Luke and he dropped the soldier stance. “I’m happy to see you’re ok, Luke. How are you feeling?”

“I’m not going to lie, I still feel a bit battered, but that might just be the old age. I’m not a young dog anymore.” Luke said, making the group laugh. “But considering what I went through, I’d say all of you did a great job at saving me. Especially you, Magnus. Thank you so much for saving me. I could never repay you enough.” Luke said, turning sincere eyes to Magnus and holding out his hand.

Magnus stepped forward and shook Luke’s hand. “Anything for a Downworlder, especially one that has been my friend for years now. I’m happy I could help, Lucian.”

Alec noticed that despite that longing still present in Magnus’ scent, he could also notice the other nuances that spoke about Magnus’ happiness and pride at having helped a friend.

The last thing Alec wanted to do was ignore Magnus. His Alpha was ready to break out the big guns to force Alec to go and protect his Omega, but Magnus had made it clear that Alec only brought him pain and that was something Alec definitely didn’t want. So he kept a careful distance, despite his own wish to wrap the Omega in his arms and never leave him again.

“Well, we won’t keep you any longer, Magnus. Thank you so much for helping us and one of our Institute’s accountants will contact you in regards to the payment for helping us with Luke.”

With that, Alec started moving towards the door, the other three following closely behind. The atmosphere had grown cold, or rather too business-like to be anything like their previous interactions.

“I could conjure up some coffee!” Magnus blurted out, unsure what was happening, but knowing that letting Alec leave would be a mistake.

“Thank you for your kind offer, but we are expected back at the Institute. Have a lovely day and thank you again.” And with a quick head nod and a professional smile that didn’t reach his eyes, Alec turned and left.

The apartment was eerily silent after Alec and the others had left. Magnus collapsed in one of his armchairs and started crying. Is this how his interactions with Alec will be from now on? Is this how his soulmate is going to treat him? Had he managed to destroy the one chance he had at happiness? True, unadultered, all-encompassing happiness?

How had it come to this? How did he mess this up so badly? Why couldn’t he just forget his stupid fears and go after what his heart truly wants?

Even with the way Alec hid his scent, Magnus could still feel a dull ache in his chest that wasn’t his. He could feel that Alec had blocked whatever sliver of connection they had, but Magnus could still feel that Alec was hurt.

He’d done that. _He_ hurt his Alpha. Did he even deserve to be in the same room as Alec anymore?

He’d never deserve a soul as pure and as selfless as Alec’s. He’ll never be good enough to be an angel’s soulmate.

So why even try…?


	4. Friends are the family you choose

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Alec leaves Magnus' loft, Magnus finds himself spiralling down to the pits of despair.  
> Ragnor helps him.
> 
> P.S. The title of this chapter is a quote by Jess C. Scott, American author of contemporary military romance, supernatural suspense and nonfiction about soldiers returning from war.

At lunch the same day, Ragnor portaled to Magnus’ loft for their weekly lunch date. What he found was heartbreaking.

After Alec had left, Magnus started drinking his thoughts and feelings away. Maybe if he drank enough, he’d stop hurting and he’d forget that he was so cruel that he even hurt an angel.

When Ragnor approached him, Magnus was sprawled on an armchair, an almost empty bottle of whiskey in hand and his head was lolling from side to side, rested against the armchair’s backrest.

“Oh, my dear friend, what has happened to you?” Ragnor said, sadness and worry coloring his voice.

“Ragnor…” Magnus registered that his friend was there and started crying again. “Ragnor… I messed up… I _fucked_ up! Badly…”

“Let’s get you cleaned up first and then you tell me everything, ok?” Ragnor said gently, helping his friend wobble to the bathroom to take a shower and try to wash the alcohol away.

After Magnus took a cold shower that sobered him up, he sat down and had lunch with Ragnor in companionable silence.

“Tell me, old friend, what has you so disturbed?” Ragnor leaned on the couch’s armrest and faced Magnus calmly.

“Well, the thing is…to be honest, it’s…I’m not sure how I could…Urghhh!” Magnus didn’t know where or how to start this conversation.

“Easy, Magnus, from the beginning.” Ragnor encouraged.

Magnus took a deep breath in and started telling Ragnor about Alec.

“A week ago, a group of Shadowhunters came to my doorstep asking me for help. The leader of this group was Alec Lightwood, the new Head of the New York Institute. And by the way my Omega and magic both reacted, he’s my… my soulmate.”

“Your soulmate? Are you sure?”

Ragnor sat up a bit straighter and focused his attention on Magnus fully.

“I am almost 100% sure. Judging by the way my Omega and magic both reacted, there’s little doubt about it.”

“Wow… I’m surprised. It has been 400 years of life for you, he only just showed up now and he is a Shadowhunter? And a Lightwood, no less. That’s indeed a lot to process. How are you feeling?”

Ragnor was worried for Magnus. As tough and outgoing as Magnus seemed to be, he was actually a lonely and fragile soul that had been beaten down over and over again. The hard exterior he displayed was just his defense mechanism against cruel people that only wanted to use and hurt him. Having found Magnus in the state that he was only 40 minutes ago is a clear testament to the emotional turmoil that Magnus was swimming in right now.

Ragnor had met him in a particularly bad time and he would do anything to protect his friend.

“I’m… I’m wary. I’ve waited my whole life for my soulmate, I’ve dreamed of having a family of my own, I’ve dreamed of bearing kids…but him being a Shadowhunter means that we will always have an axe over our heads.” Magnus sighed deeply.” You know, Ragnor, you know! You know what that means, you’ve seen what it did to poor Cat. She never got a chance at her happily ever after because the Clave decided that a man’s life, one of their best soldiers’ life was worth less than their ‘purity’, as they like to call it. And I don’t even want to think about what losing Liam Jr. did to her or how letting Ephraim go broke her heart. You’ve seen how many helpless kids we gathered from the streets because the Clave sent its soldiers to kill entire families. How can I honestly think, _hope_ that I’ll be different? I can’t go through that, I’m not strong enough.”

Magnus slumped into his armchair and got increasingly sadder. He _wanted_ to let Alec into his life, his heart, give their relationship a chance, but he was just…so afraid.

“How many times have you met since then?” Ragnor asked carefully.

“That first time, when they asked me to summon the Memory Demon, we had a brief encounter, not being able to talk much. The night after the summon, he contacted me because he’d forgotten to pay me for my services. When they came asking for my help, they offered in exchange the necklace I had given Camille some 100 years ago, but that night between the demon summoning, Clary getting her memories back and Alec and I…finding each other, we both forgot about the payment. He texted me and asked if he could come and drop it off since it’s only fair.” Magnus said, spinning the whiskey in the glass.

“How did he treat you?”

“That’s the thing! He’s nothing like I would have expected, like I’ve experienced so far with Shadowhunters. Yesterday night they came again because Lucian Graymark had been bitten by the NY pack’s alpha and he was dying. Alec shared his strength with me, Ragnor. I was nearing my limit and he just came and pushed all his angel-given energy into me.”

“That’s…unheard of. He did that? No holding back?” Ragnor asked, his eyes wide in surprise.

“None whatsoever. He cradled me gently in his arms and supported me when I was fatigued from using so much magic to keep Luke alive. He’s kind and attentive and generous and he protected me against his own brother. He used his Alpha voice on his brother for _me_! He’s funny and sweet and he’s definitely the protective type, which I adore. He ticks all the boxes. He’s…perfect.” Magnus finished in a soft voice with a small shoulder shrug.

“So what is your worry, my dear friend? Why were you crying?” Ragnor asked, knowing that Magnus was afraid.

“Ragnor, I… pushed him away and today he treated me like just another warlock. It hurt so bad to look at him and not see in his eyes that same spark he had when we met the first time or when we had drinks on this very couch. He looked at me as if I didn’t matter to him, like I was just another warlock that had provided a service for the Clave. It hurt so much to see that, but… I’m not strong enough to go through what Cat did. The Clave killed Liam and losing Liam and their son destroyed her. I can’t do that to myself, no matter the reason.” Magnus whined in a pitiful voice.

Aaaand there it was.

Ragnor knew what Magnus needed even if Magnus himself didn’t know.

“I never knew you were such a coward, Magnus. You jumped into flames to save Cat from burning at the stake, you faced a newly born vampire and stopped him from both killing you and committing suicide, you helped save Tessa from Mortmain’s hands and I won’t even mention what you’ve been doing for the Downworld along the centuries. When did that Magnus become _this_ Magnus?”

Ragnor’s voice was strong and determined, but Magnus could still hear the love and affection in it.

“You’ve faced vampires, werewolves, seelies, warlocks and even Asmodeus, but you’re afraid of some Clave old farts? No, Magnus, this isn’t you. You fight tooth and nail for what is yours, you protect the weak and fight the oppressive and you do that with a hand tied behind your back.” Ragnor said, facing Magnus fully.

“The Magnus I know would be throwing a party and showing off his amazing soulmate. The Magnus I know would already have at least 10 presents lined up for his soulmate _and_ a trip around the world. The Magnus I know would take the time to know his soulmate and fall in love with him. And you know it, old friend.”

Ragnor placed a warm hand on Magnus’ shoulder and Magnus leaned into the touch.

“The times are changing, the world is evolving and the Clave’s power has diminished greatly since Cat lost Liam. You have the power to protect Alec and your family, Magnus. You need to let yourself be happy. You know you are not actually afraid of what the Clave might do, they don’t matter. What you’re afraid of is Alec not accepting you, your past, your sins, your origins.”

Magnus lifted big sorrowful eyes to meet Ragnor’s.

“And is that not a valid fear? He’s a _Nephilim_ , for Lilith’s sake! My father is Asmodeus, the most powerful Prince of Hell! I’ve done a lot of harm in my long life, Ragnor and I probably will never be able to atone for my sins.” Magnus said, a tear sliding down his cheeks.

“Magnus, if you don’t let the man in, you’re taking away _his_ choice as well. How do you know he’s not going to love you with all his heart? How do you know he’s not going to be there when you’re in pain? How do you know how your children will look like if you don’t give him a chance?” Ragnor said in his softest and gentlest voice.

Ragnor really wanted the best for his friends. Magnus, Cat and Raphael were his family and he’d do anything for them, even whip them into shape.

“I’m scared, Ragnor because if my soulmate won’t be able to accept me, then who will? What if nobody will ever love me?” Magnus cried, holding onto Ragnor’s sleeve.

“You silly boy! What are you talking about? What am I here for if not to love and care for you? What has Cat been doing for the last four centuries? What would Raphael say if he ever heard you speak like that?” Ragnor said with a small chuckle.

“Oh God, don’t tell Raphael. He’d cuss me to Mars and back. In Spanish!” Magnus said, looking mildly horrified.

Ragnor laughed and pulled Magnus into a side hug.

“No matter what happens in this sparkly life of yours, never forget we are here for you, my dear friend.”

Magnus was definitely feeling better after his conversation with Ragnor, even if he wasn’t fully convinced that the best thing to do is to let Alec in. Still, he promised himself to think twice before shutting Alec out again.

A few days later after his conversation with Ragnor, Magnus found himself in the Ops center of the Institute, talking to Hodge, Jace and Clary about tracking the warlock that spelled Jocelyn. Turns out, that warlock was actually Ragnor.

Magnus, Clary and Jace portal to Ragnor’s safe house, just outside of London, after Magnus had informed Ragnor that they would be coming.

Upon arriving and meeting Ragnor, the four are ambushed by a horde of demons that were somehow able to slip past Ragnor’s wards. In the heat of the fight, Clary and Jace fighting side by side, protecting each other and Ragnor and Magnus having the other’s back, Magnus fails to notice a demon charging at Ragnor. He only had time to do one thing. He jumped in front of his friend and saved his life.

An excruciating pain spread from Magnus’ left pec to the rest of his body and the world went black.


	5. When two people are meant for each other, no time is too long, no distance is too far, no one can ever tear them apart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus is hurt by a demon and the only reason he's still alive is because Alec willingly opened their bond and took as much as he could from his pain and damage to the heart.
> 
> Magnus decides that he can't let Alec get hurt because of him and tries to break their bond for good.

Alec had been on edge the entire day. Something didn’t feel right, something was definitely off, but he just couldn’t put his finger on it. He’d just found out that his _parabatai_ , together with Clary and Magnus had gone to Ragnor’s house to ask the warlock to wake Jocelyn up. Only minutes after, he felt the strongest pain he’d ever felt radiating through his entire chest.

 _Jace? No, it isn’t him. This is Magnus. I have to help him_.

And so he did. He focused on the bond, forced it more open than it had ever been, and took part of Magnus’ suffering. He’d have taken it all if he could.

Magnus woke up in Cat’s house, both Cat and Ragnor tending to his wound.

“Magnus! Thank Lilith you’re awake! How are you feeling?” Cat said, while wiping a single tear from her eye.

Magnus groaned and tried to sit up, but Ragnor gently pushed him down.

“Don’t get up, you stubborn fool! You scared the living lights out of me.” Ragnor said, his voice laced with worry.

“Is the reckless idiot awake?” Raphael called from the kitchen.

“Yes, I am and I am not an idiot, Raphael!” Magnus bit back, his voice croaky.

Raphael came out of the kitchen carrying a tray that held a bowl of hot chicken soup, a glass of water, a cold compress and an aspirin. He set the tray down on the coffee table, next to the couch Magnus was lying on.

“Yes, you are an idiot and you’ve known that for 400 years already. How’s your head?” Raphael said, sounding annoyed but being far from it.

“It hurts, but I’m ok.” Magnus said, looking up at his three friends.

Ragnor helped him to sit up and gave him the aspirin and the glass of water.

“Have this first and then you have to eat. You’ve been out for a day and a half. You had us worried.”

Magnus swallowed the pill, feeling an almost instant relief. As good as magic was, modern medicine had its perks.

Raphael and Ragnor helped him sit up slowly and made sure his back was well supported by the couch's backrest. Magnus then started eating the soup, thanking whoever was willing to listen to him for Raphael’s incredible cooking skills.

“This is delicious! Thank you, Rafe!” Magnus said, smiling at his friend.

“Next time you want me to cook for you, you can just ask. There’s no need to get yourself almost killed.” Raphael said, a fond smile crossing his face.

Raphael touched his forehead to check for his temperature, while Cat did a sweep of his general state with her magic. Raphael and Cat shared a look and decided that Magnus was well enough to stop worrying about him.

“You’re ok now, thank Lilith. You had us worried.” Cat said, giving Magnus a side hug. “Now that you’re up, I should go call Isabelle.”

“Isabelle? Isabelle Lightwood? Why?” Magnus sat up straighter and looked at his friend.

Cat looked at Ragnor and Raphael and saw the same reluctance she was feeling, but they all knew that Magnus had to be informed as to what had happened.

“Yes, Isabelle Lightwood. It seems that when you were struck by the demon, it managed to nick your heart as well. Since the venom was spreading at a much faster rate than we had anticipated and since Ragnor couldn’t take care of you immediately because the demons kept on coming, we were really worried you wouldn’t be able to make it.” Cat said, her hands trembling.

“How worried, Cat?”

“Magnus, you stopped breathing. Your magic was so weak that it wasn’t reacting to us at all.”

“Oh…” was all Magnus could say.

“The only reason you survived is because Alec took part of your pain and venom.” Cat said in a small voice.

“Alec… What? What do you mean? How did Alec take part of… Cat, you’re not making any sense.” Magnus said panicked.

“Magnus, even through your partial bond, he felt the stab as soon as it happened to you. He collapsed and I had to go and check on him as well. I could tell he could have left you and woken up, but he forced himself to take part of your pain and damage done to your heart so that you could recover faster.” Catarina said.

“He…he… No, Cat, that can’t be right. It’s not a full bond and even if it were, this should not happen! Not even the _parabatai_ bond is that strong.” Magnus was trembling so hard that Raphael had to take the bowl of soup out of his clasped hands so that he wouldn’t burn himself.

“Magnus, the same thing happened with me and Liam. I knew when he died because I felt his pain. The only reason I couldn’t take his pain away was because he completely shut down the bond before I could. And then I couldn’t feel him anymore. Magnus, you know what this means.” Cat said gently, rubbing his back in comfort.

“Alec is my soulmate…” Magnus said in a soft, surprised voice.” Alec is my soulmate… I have to go.”

He stood up so quickly that he almost gave himself whiplash.

Ragnor and Raphael both stood up and tried to block his path.

“Where are you going?” Ragnor asked, while Raphael put a hand on Magnus’ shoulder.

“I have to make sure that he’s ok.” Magnus said.

“But Cat was going to call Isabelle. Why not wait?” Raphael said in turn.

“I can’t wait.” Magnus created a portal and jumped through it into his loft.

Ragnor, Cat and Raphael were left standing in Cat’s living room and they all knew that Magnus was going to make the biggest mistake of his life.

  
“He’s going to try and sever their connection.” Ragnor said.

“Yes, he’s stupid enough to try that.” Raphael said, the anger making his vampire fangs show.

“We have to stop him. I’ll call Isabelle, you make sure he doesn’t close his wards.” Cat said, picking up her phone.

Magnus had already been researching ways to break his soulmate bond. Now it was just time to actually get up the nerve and do it. With tears in his eyes, he started chanting the spell necessary to make the potion work. He was mixing the ingredients in the cauldron and chanting in a demonic language he had long since forgotten.

After the potion was done, it took him one hour to work up the courage and drink it.

Just as he was lifting the glass to his lips, his front door burst open and Ragnor yanked the glass out of his hands using magic.

“Ragnor, stop it! This is my choice to make, not yours!” Magnus yelled out angry.

Alec walked in right at that moment and in a small trembling voice asked “What about my choice?”

Alec’s hazel eyes were red with unshed tears and held an infinite well of sadness that made Magnus’ heart break.

“What about my choice, Magnus? Don’t I get a say in this? Do you hate me that much that you’d make yourself go through the pain of severing a soul bond just to get rid of me? Are you that disgusted with me? Is me being a Shadowhunter such a… grave sin that you wouldn’t even take the time to get to know me? Are you that repulsed by the idea of me being your…soulmate?”

The Alpha’s scent was heavy with sadness and pain, longing and resignation.

“When I found you, I thought that someone will finally look at me for who I am, but you never wanted anything to do with me. I know I’m undesirable, but I had hoped that you would at least try to understand me.” Alec said, believing fully that the fault was all his. “It’s ok, I won’t hold it against you. But if you are determined to do this, I want to be the one to drink the potion. You shouldn’t have to suffer so much for me. You’ve suffered enough as it is, being tied to a Shadowhunter.” Alec said, slowly extending his hand to Ragnor.

“Alec, what are you saying?! You can’t do that!” Izzy said, grabbing her brother’s arm.

“This is so stupid.” Raphael muttered under his breath. ”Magnus, you’re not the worst and you’re not the best to have ever walked this Earth. And you are definitely not allowed to decide what happens to soulmates. You are not God!” Raphael spat angrily.

The vampire then used his vamp speed and destroyed the potion, the cauldron and the spell that Magnus had found.

“You are never to use this spell ever again or I will find a way to take your magic from you on the grounds of being too stupid to use it safely.” Raphael said, looking Magnus straight in the eye.

“If you don’t want to go through with a full bond with the Lightwood boy, fine. That’s your choice. But don’t you ever think of hurting yourself _or_ him like that again. Do you hear me?!” Raphael asked Magnus.

Magnus just nodded, looking down.

“Now, you need rest. I will stay the night and Cat will come by tomorrow to check on you. Lightwoods, go back to the Institute. I don’t want to see you right now.” Raphael said in his leader of the NY coven voice.

Alec looked at Magnus, but Magnus wasn’t looking back at him. He nodded shortly and left the apartment, supported by Isabelle. Raphael, Cat and Ragnor exchanged a look and the warlocks left. Raphael gently guided Magnus to his bedroom, where he helped the warlock take off his clothes and pushed him to sleep.

Alec was heartbroken. He had closed the bond as soon as he heard what Magnus was trying to do. It wouldn’t do Magnus any good to feel the turmoil that Alec was going through.

He had hoped that Magnus would accept him and try to love him, despite knowing that he was too much or not enough for the magnificent being that Magnus was. What would a 400-year-old powerful warlock, a gorgeous, intelligent, charismatic, kind and wise man want with him anyway? Didn’t Magnus say it himself? _“You’re just a pup. I’ve been alive for hundreds of years. I was around when the Dead Sea was just a lake feeling a little poorly. Do you think a 20-something-year-old would excite me?”_ So what was Alec expecting? That Magnus would suddenly realize his feelings for Alec and run back to him? That they’d run towards each other on a beach under a beautiful sunset as the music is swelling around them and they would collapse in each other’s arms, like some stupid romantic mundane movie Izzy likes to watch so much? What a joke!

Alec locked himself in his room and cried for a relationship that will never happen. He cried for his inability to make his own soulmate happy. He cried for his incapability of protecting his soulmate. He cried because if his own soulmate didn’t want him, nobody ever will.

Alec picked himself up the next morning, shut off the bond between him and Magnus completely and resigned himself to the thought that he had lost Magnus forever. It is a pain he’ll have to learn to live with for the rest of his life.

“Hey, big bro! How are you feeling?” Izzy asked in a soft voice when Alec walked into the training room. She knew he’d need to let off some steam, so she booked a training room for the two of them.

“I’m good, Iz. Have you warmed up? Can we start already?” Alec asked feeling the need to shut off his thoughts and punch and kick until his body gave out.

“Yeah, I am.” Izzy said, throwing a bo staff his way.

Getting into position was easy. He and Izzy have been training together since they started walking. But focusing on his form and generally keeping up with Izzy was proving to be difficult since his thoughts kept running back to Magnus.

Eventually, Alec found himself on his back, his breath thoroughly knocked out of his lungs. Izzy was standing above him, her bo staff planted on Alec’s chest.

“Come on, hermano, you can do better than that. It’s been years since I last knocked you on your ass.” She extends a hand at him. “Get up and get your head out of the clouds, ok?”

Alec grunted as he was being pulled to his feet and kept his eyes cast down.

“I closed the bond, Iz. I closed the bond and I’m not going to go near Magnus ever again.” Alec said, his voice small but determined.

Izzy turned wide eyes at him and asked simply, if not a bit angrily.

“And why exactly would you do something so stupid?”

“You saw what he wanted to do, Izzy! He hates me so much that he wanted to break the bond! He was going to hurt himself just to break our bond! I can’t keep him tied to me against his will!” Alec said, throwing his hands into the air.

“Is that what you think? That he hates you?” Izzy asked, her voice soft and kind.

“What else would I think?! All he’s ever done was reject me and run away from me! If that’s some new courting ritual that I’m not aware of, I don’t want to be a part of it!” Alec said, still yelling and flailing his arms around. “It hurts, Izzy, it really hurts…”, he said, collapsing to the ground and burying his head in his bent knees, circling them with his arms.

Isabelle scooted next to him and dropped to her knees. She placed a warm hand on his shoulder and spoke softly.

“Alec, Magnus is afraid. He’s a 400-year-old warlock that has known nothing but pain in love. You’re from opposite sides of the Shadow World. Our race has been hunting Downworlders, specifically warlocks, since the dawn of time. Of course he’d be afraid. Not necessarily of you, but what a relationship with you could do to him. You were too troubled to notice it, but his scent was so overcome by regret and longing when he was stopped by Ragnor and Raphael that I could barely breathe. He looked at you when you turned around to leave the apartment and his magic extended towards you. Cat intervened and stopped it from touching you, knowing that neither of you was ready for that to happen. He wants to be with you, as much as you want to be with him, but he’s afraid.” Izzy said, gently caressing his back. “Wouldn’t you be? You are his soulmate. For a warlock, that means that they could bear children of their own. But for that to happen, their soulmate would have to accept a full bond, immortality and all of that included. Not only that, but the Clave is heavily opposed to the union of a Shadowhunter and a Downworlder and we aren’t children anymore, Alec. We know what the Clave does to those of us who disobey it. They would go as far as to kill you _and_ Magnus.” Izzy said, her voice angry and cold. “Hell, even I would be afraid and I’m a Shadowhunter!”

Izzy turned Alec’s face to her, cradling his cheeks lovingly as a good sister would.

“Alec, I am 100% behind any decision you will make. Just keep in mind that he’s been waiting for you for 400 years! You’re his chance at having children of his own. Do you care for him enough to always be there and protect him no matter what? Would you be willing to stand against the Clave and your own parents for your soulmate?” Izzy asked, seriousness and determination coloring her voice and scent.

“Yes, of course! I’d stand against the entire world if it meant keeping him safe!” Alec said frowning.

“Then that’s your answer! Don’t give up yet. Keep on trying and you will see that he will tell you what he truly feels soon. I promise!” Izzy said smiling.

“How would you know that?” Alec said, uncertainty coloring his scent.

“Because Catarina told me that Magnus is as devastated as you are.” Izzy said with a wink and got up and left.


	6. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec uses his parabatai bond to track Jace down after he was taken by Valentine. A part of his soul gets lost in between himself and his parabatai.
> 
> Magnus comes and binds that piece of soul to his own, risking his own life to extend Alec's, in hopes that Jace would come back on time.
> 
> P.S. The title of this chapter is a quote by Friedrich Nietzsche, German philosopher.

Cat came by Magnus’ loft the next morning to find him heartbroken and even more tired than the day before.

“Oh, Magnus…” Cat hugged him tight and let him cry on her shoulder.

“What have I done, Cat…? I can’t fix this anymore… I hurt Alexander so bad…” Magnus cried.

“There’s nothing in this world you cannot fix, Magnus, except death and we both know that some warlocks are trying to _fix_ that too.” Cat said, gently rubbing her friend’s back.

Raphael could hear everything from the kitchen where he was preparing breakfast for Magnus and Catarina. His heart broke for the warlock.

“It’s too late, Cat. He closed the bond. For good.” Magnus cried harder. What had he done?

“It’s never too late, Magnus. You broke his heart. He’s only protecting it from being broken again.” Cat said softly. “You need to sort your own feelings out and then decide what you want to do about Alec. But whatever it may be, make sure you don’t hurt him unnecessarily. He’s had enough of that from his parents and the Clave.” Cat said, her voice stern.

“What do you mean? Cat, what do you mean?” Magnus asked impatiently.

Cat sighed deeply.

“Isabelle was furious yesterday and called me to let her into your loft so she could beat some sense into you. Fierce girl!” Cat said with a small chuckle.” I convinced her to come over to my place and we talked about the whole situation. I told her that you’re hurt and you didn’t know how to handle it. She told me that hurting her brother was not the way. _‘He’s been hurt enough by our parents and the goddamn Clave!’_ is what she told me. Apparently, when their parents found out that his soulmate was a warlock, they reported it to the Clave. The Clave can’t officially take a stand against this, but they have been pressuring Alec into resigning from his position as the Head of the New York Institute.” Cat said with a sigh. “But this Shadowhunter of yours is a stubborn little daisy.” Cat said, smiling fondly. “He’s worked hard and made himself indispensable to the Clave. No Downworld Faction is willing to talk to anyone other than Alexander Lightwood or his right hand, Isabelle. The communication between the Shadowhunters and the Downworld is essential right now since the Circle poses a real threat not only to the Downworld, but to the entire Clave authority as well. We’re standing on the edge of a revolution and the Clave would never win against us. So what Alec is doing is a godsend for them.”

“I never knew any of this. So he’s been fighting against his own people…for me?” Magnus said in awe.

“Yes, silly, of course! You’re worth fighting for.” Cat said with an exasperated smile.

“Ok…ok, I understand. I’ll think about how I can fix this.” Magnus said, feeling hope spark in his chest for the first time. Except, hope wasn’t the only thing he was feeling in his chest right now. As soon as he spoke the last word, he felt a strong pain in his chest, in the deepest part of his soul.

“Cat, something’s wrong…something’s wrong with Alec. I-I need to go.” And with that, he stood up, ready to run to Alec’s side.

But before he even took one step, Magnus was startled by the loud pounding on his front door.

“Magnus, please open the door! My brother is dying! I don’t know what to do! Please!”

Magnus swings the door open and the usually perfectly composed Isabelle falls into his arms, make-up ruined, hair a mess and her entire face puffy and tear-streaked.

“Isabelle? What’s wrong, darling? What has you so upset?” Magnus asked, visibly worried, feeling the pull on his soul a lot stronger now. Cat and Raphael were flanking him.

“Magnus, my brother…he, he…he isn’t waking up and I don’t know what to do. Please help me!” Isabelle started crying harder and leant against Magnus’ strong chest.

Not a second later, a portal had come to life and Magnus was asking Isabelle to take him to Alec. Cat and Raphael stood back, knowing that if something were to happen, Magnus would call them immediately.

Magnus walks into Alec’s room to find him holding an _adamas_ stone with the _parabatai_ rune inscribed on it.

“What did he do? Isabelle, what did he do?” Magnus rushed to Alec’s side, his magic already enveloping him.

“He used the _adamas_ to call out to Jace and find him. W-We haven’t been able to track Jace since Valentine forced him to go with him. Luke had the _adamas_ from his mother who was an Iron Sister. He said that the ritual is found in one of the books at the Institute, but something must’ve gone wrong, because he won’t wake up and his vitals are dropping. Please, do something.” Isabelle pleaded yet again. Not that she needed to. Magnus was already using his magic to assess the problem and hopefully fix it.

“I’m on it. In the meantime, please research more about this ritual so that I know what I’m up against.”

“Of course!” And just like that, Isabelle left the room and he and Alec were alone.

“You stubborn fool! Why didn’t you call me? Maybe _I_ could’ve found Jace, without you putting yourself in danger. What do I do now? Come back to me…” His magic came forth from the deepest parts of himself, surging up and pouring into Alec, frantically blanketing him in the warmest touch.

Isabelle returned a couple of minutes later holding the book and Magnus browsed quickly through it.

“Yes, I could feel that much. Alexander used his soul bond with Jace to find him, but part of his soul never returned. I will try everything I can, but Jace has to come back and bring that part of Alec’s soul with him.”

Magnus was even more worried now because body injuries? He could deal with and most of the time, heal. Mind control? Usually, he had enough magic to break mind control and restore the person’s state of mind as it was before. But the soul bonds, attachments and rituals, spells and enchantments, those are almost always impossible to predict, let alone break. This particular case is a lot more difficult than any other type of soul spell because this is an angelic bond and his magic, being of demonic provenance, had no influence or power whatsoever on such a bond. The only thing he could do was try to permanently tether to himself the part of Alec’s soul that had slipped, using the partial bond they had created in hopes that it was enough until Jace came back and made Alec’s soul whole again.

“As I suspected, when Alec called out to Jace, part of his soul got stuck somewhere between himself and his _parabatai_. The only chance we have at bringing Alec back is if Jace comes and brings that piece of his soul back.”

Magnus was already working on focusing his magic to strengthen the bond between his soul and Alec’s, though that could prove to be as dangerous for him as it is for Alec if Jace doesn’t come back on time. And time was running out.

“I’ve managed to contact Jace and he said he’s just escaped Valentine and is making his way back. Will you be able to keep Alec here for a couple more hours? Can I help you with anything?” Isabelle had stopped crying and had slipped into her second-in-command persona, which, admittedly, was a lot more helpful.

“I think I could be more efficient in my loft since I could also use some of the magic I use in my wards. Is it okay if we move him there?” Magnus asked. He knew this was going to be an uphill battle for him and he needed all the strength he could muster.

“Yes, of course. I’ll take care of Aldertree so that you could sneak Alec out.”

Victor Aldertree was the Shadowhunter sent by the Clave to pressure Alec into giving up his position. And he was being every bit of the asshole that he could be.

Magnus portals he and Alec back to his loft, instantly feeling the relief of being surrounded by his wards. He lied Alec down on the sofa and with a flick of his wrists, he expanded it so it was comfortable for Alec. Magnus grabbed Alec’s hand and started to push his magic into Alec’s soul in order to deepen the connection they already had. Even with this partial bond, now that he let himself feel Alec’s soul, he could feel the painful tug on his own soul because of that lost piece of Alec’s. Of what he read, the _parabatai_ bond is very strong. So strong that one could feel one’s _parabatai_ ’s emotions. So if that were true, then Jace must be in so much pain right now. Magnus felt sorry for the blond. He pushed even more magic and held onto that small string that Alec’s soul piece was still connected through to the rest of his soul and attached it to his own. It was very dangerous because as soon as that piece slipped away, his soul would be doomed as well.

Magnus was so focused and so deep in his bond with Alec that he didn’t even hear the flat’s door open and close. He barely heard Isabelle calling him and gently lifting him up with Clary’s help so that Jace could take over. Magnus felt his heart ache for being taken away from Alec and his knees buckling under him as he finally noticed how exhausted he actually was.

Jace sat down next to Alec and began to chant the _parabatai_ oath, gripping Alec’s hand so hard that it lost its color completely.

_Entreat me not to leave thee,_

_Or return from following after thee –_

_For whither thou goest, I will go,_

_And where thou lodgest, I will lodge._

_Thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God._

_Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried._

_The Angel do so to me, and more also,_

_if aught but death part thee and me._

Alec gasps his final breath and Magnus feels his soul being pulled under alongside Alec’s. Was it already too late?

Jace hugs Alec to his chest and begs him not to leave him.

Just as everything seemed lost, Alec whispers, “…if aught but death part thee and me.”

Clary and Izzy hold onto Magnus who seems ready to topple to the floor and they hug him tightly as Alec finally regains consciousness. Magnus asks to be brought to Alec’s side to check if everything is ok, to make sure that nothing could happen to Alec now.

Before they could do that, however, Aldertree busted through Magnus’ doors.

“Jace Wayland! You are hereby sentenced to the City of Bones to await trial for the charge of high treason and aiding Valentine in the war against the Clave.” The venomous look Aldertree cast Jace’s way told everyone in the room that the man was not backing down, no matter what.

Jace stood up and faced Aldertree.

“Wait! Wha–what the hell is going on?” Alec tried to sit up on the couch unsuccessfully and confusion was written all over his sweaty and still pale face.

Jace turned around with a small smile and tried to calm Alec down. He needn’t be getting up trying to save him from Aldertree.

“It’s all right, Alec. All that matters is you’re back.” And with that, he was taken away.

Alec slumped in the couch still exhausted and passed out. Magnus finally made his way to his side to check if everything was indeed ok. He knelt down next to Alec’s torso and began scanning him again.

Isabelle put a hand on his shoulder and asked him if it was okay to leave since she had to figure out a way to help Jace. Magnus nodded and Izzy and Clary were gone the next minute, after making Magnus promise to have Alec call them as soon as he woke up.

Magnus scanned Alec once, twice, thrice, four times until he was 100% sure that he was all right. After that, he started to draw power from his wards, leaving them at their barest, so that he could help Alec recover faster.

His magic was so low and he was so tired that he didn’t even realize he had fainted until he felt himself being shaken and his name was being called.

“Magnus? Magnus, are you ok? Wake up, come on.” Alec’s voice was slightly panicked and Magnus didn’t understand the reason why.

“Alexander? What happened? Is everything all right? How are you feeling?” Magnus asked sitting up so suddenly that he lost his balance and would have fallen down had it not been for Alec’s reflexes.

“Wow, wow, calm down, I’m okay. You, on the other hand, seem to be at the end of your strength. Here, lie down.” Alec helped Magnus lie down on the couch he himself had been lying on just a few moments ago.

“Magnus, I’m fine, you can stop fueling me with your energy, you clearly need it more than I do. Sleep and I’ll come back later to check up on you, okay?” Alec thought that since Magnus was at his lowest energy-wise, he definitely didn’t want or need an Alpha around, no matter how much Alec wanted to stay and take care of _his_ Omega. As he moved to stand up from the couch, however, Magnus gripped his wrist stopping him.

“Please, don’t go! I’m scared that you’ll…” Magnus was on the verge of losing his consciousness again, but he couldn’t let Alec out of his sight. What if something happened to Alec and this time he wouldn’t make it on time?

“Okay, okay, I won’t leave tonight. I’ll call the Institute and let them know I’ll be arriving in the morning, after you wake up, I promise.”

Alec gently pried Magnus’ fingers from his wrist and moved to call Isabelle.

“Izzy, how is Jace?” Alec asked as soon as Izzy picked up.

 _“He’s being detained in the City of Bones, but as soon as they interview him with the Soul Sword, everything will come to light and he will probably be released. His interview is in two hours. How are you?”_ Alec could still hear the worry in Isabelle’s voice and he hated that he couldn’t put her at ease.

“I’m fine, but Magnus is exhausted because he kept feeding me his energy and now I can barely even feel his wards. I don’t want to leave him alone until he’s capable of defending himself again.”

 _“Are you going to talk to him? He is your Omega, after all. Your soulmate.”_ Izzy’s voice softened imperceptibly.

“I will, don’t worry. Can I count on you for today and maybe a bit of tomorrow as well?”

 _“Yes, of course. I’ll tell Jace to contact you as soon as he can_.” Alec heard the smile in Izzy’s voice.

“He’d better. Thank you, Izzy. I owe you big time.”

_“Anytime, big brother. Love you!”_

“I love you too!”

With that, Alec hung up and went back to sit next to Magnus. Magnus shifted and pulled Alec closer, so close that Alec had to climb next to Magnus on the couch and lie next to him. Magnus buried his nose in the crook of Alec’s neck and with one palm on Alec’s chest, feeling the steady and strong beat of his heart under it, Magnus was finally able to fall asleep and rest.


	7. Ghost of Clave Present

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus tells Alec everything that the Clave has been doing against Downworlders and even against Shadowhunters.

Magnus can’t remember the last time he’s had such a good rest. He could blame it on the magic depletion, making him unable to do anything more than sleep, sure, but he knows for a fact that that is not the real reason. His Omega was happy. For the first time in 400 years, his Omega is happily purring away in his chest and he couldn’t even bring himself to try and cover it up. Maybe it’ll pass as a snore. But when his Alpha’s arms circle him oh so carefully and hold him against a broad, strong chest, he couldn’t care less if the Alpha hears his soft purrs of happiness. For the first time since he met Alec, he was having troubles remembering what he was so worried about, what scared him so much. Right there, right that moment was perfect and he was the happiest he’d ever been.

Magnus woke up to gentle fingers carding through his hair, a soft purr vibrating through him from the chest underneath his ear and a strong arm holding his waist. The soft morning sun was peeking through the curtains, the fine layer of dust that floated around the room looked like the Milky Way bathed in the light of a million stars. The bustle of the city was reduced to a low hum and his whole being was warm and fuzzy. He relaxed further into this perfect dream where he could have this domestic, sweet life with his Alpha.

Until reality hit him like a ton of bricks.

Alec felt Magnus tense up in his arms and instinctively tightened the arm he had around his waist.

“Good morning, Magnus! How are you feeling?” His voice was raspy, fond and loving, the traces of sleep still heavy in it. His left hand was now gently tracing the shell of Magnus’ ear, likely an unconscious movement, making Magnus shiver.

Magnus sits up, untangling himself from Alec and tries not to fall over due to dizziness and that lack of warmth his Alpha was surrounding him with just a second ago.

“Alexander. Yes, good morning. I’m okay. I should be asking _you_ how you’re feeling.” Magnus tries not to notice that Alec flinches when he hears Magnus’ chipped voice, but fails miserably.

Alec stands up as well, almost chest to chest with Magnus and Magnus can tell that the only thing the Alpha in front of him wants is to go back to five minutes ago when everything was perfect. He can smell the longing that bleeds into the Alpha’s scent and he does his best to keep that same longing from coloring his own scent.

“I’m okay. Thank you for helping me. I know it must not have been easy, considering the fact that you’re now bound to me even tighter, but believe me, you were the only thing preventing me from completely slipping under. Jace may have pulled me out, but I felt you there and it definitely made a difference. So thank you.” Alec delivers his response keeping a steady eye contact and a soft and loving voice. He couldn’t keep the smile away when he mentioned that they were bound together.

“Yes, well, it was the normal thing to do. I’m sure you would have done the same thing. If offered the occasion, I try to help people as much as I can.”

 _What are you doing, you stupid idiot?! You’re supposed to fix this, not push him further away!_ Magnus chastised himself mentally.

“Of course I’d do it, in a heartbeat. For you, but not for anybody else. _You’re_ my soulmate. You’re the one I want to protect and cherish most in this world.” Alec wears a pained expression on his face that Magnus hates to see. He put it there, but he can’t help it. His defense mechanisms, the stupid walls he had built over centuries of pain and rejection are stubbornly holding up.

Alec moves his hands in an attempt to grab Magnus’, but as soon as their skin touches, Magnus jumps back a step, despite his Omega giving a pitiful cry.

“Magnus, please talk to me. Don’t push me away. I want to be here for you. I want to love you, take care of you, build a family and a home with you. You’re _it_ for me.”

Alec doesn’t know what is holding his Omega back, but he knows that his own heart won’t be able to take another crude rejection. He had allowed himself to hope because Magnus had seemed just as heartbroken and desperate not to lose him as Alec had been. But maybe he read the signs wrong.

Magnus thinks back to his conversation with Catarina and Ragnor and allows himself to be honest with Alec for the first time.

“Alexander, I can’t- I can’t lose you. I’m not strong enough. I can’t spend my days praying that you’ll make it home at night. I can’t have your own family turn against you because you’re with a…a Downworlder.” Magnus spits the last word out like it was pure venom on his tongue. “I can’t build a family with you if I don’t know if you’ll choose to stay. And I know that you won’t because I’m too much, I’m too old, I’m not right for you. Besides, if you knew my past, you would run for the hills. You have your whole life ahead of you, you are one of the Clave’s prized children and I’m one wrong decision away from being blacklisted and hunted down. I can’t watch you regret choosing me for all eternity and I’ll definitely not have a child that the Clave can destroy.”

By now, Magnus was crying and Alec was at a loss for words, because no matter how much he wanted Magnus, Alec knew that he was right. If Magnus were to choose him, the warlock would face at least a human lifetime of even more persecution and disdain from the Clave. And as much as he wanted, Alec could never promise Magnus that he will come back every night safe and sound. But he definitely could not give up either.

“Magnus, my whole life I’ve lived under the Clave’s thumb. I’ve always believed or wanted to believe that the only reason they were so strict, bordering on cruel was so that they could protect mundanes, Shadowhunters and Downworlders alike. But working with the Downworld, meeting you has shown me how different the reality really is. The Clave’s interests have nothing to do with protecting the Downworld. And protecting you and your people is the only thing I want to do. I won’t let the Downworld suffer at the hands of the Clave anymore and I will most definitely not let them harm you.”

The fierceness in Alec’s voice and the shift in his scent gave Magnus hope, despite the small voice that kept yelling at him that he should protect himself and that this is a terrible idea.

“Magnus, I’ve always wanted to meet someone like you. My whole life I’ve been ashamed of who I was, of who I liked and it’s never even crossed my mind that I will ever meet my soulmate. And when I finally met him, he was the most amazing, beautiful, kind-hearted and loving person I had ever had the chance to meet.” Alec takes a step closer to Magnus and cups his cheek, gently brushing away the stray tears.

“How could I ever forgive myself if I let you get away from me? How could I ever mend my broken heart if I never saw you again? Please believe me when I say that you are the one for me. I knew it the moment I met you. And you have nothing to worry about when it comes to my family. The people that actually matter to me, my siblings, always wish for my happiness and you’re the one that could make that happen, no matter what.”

Alec’s voice was soothing, his scent sweet and calming and his touch light and loving. Could he really have this? This Alpha that loved him so much already? This Alpha that was willing to fight anyone and everyone to keep him safe and protected? Could he possibly have a home and a family after 400 years of loneliness?

_Don't get swayed, Magnus. Nothing good can come out of it._

Magnus pulled back and his scent turned sour and bitter, changing the air around them so much that even Alec took half a step back.

“No, you don’t understand! I’ve spent a good part of my life rescuing children whose parents were killed by the Clave for being a mixed couple, Downworlder and Shadowhunter. I’ve found more warlock and Shadowhunter kids dead than alive because your precious Clave thinks that they are somehow inferior to the ones born from Shadowhunter parents. I’ve had to invent magic to mask the scent of the Downworder parent on the Shadowhunter kids so that they can be adopted by actual Shadowhunters. I’ve had to magically change Clave records and alter memories to make it look like they had always been in those families. I’ve had to stand by and watch the kids _I_ saved be forced by the Clave to hunt down, torture and kill Downworlders. I watched them cry while they had to abide by the Clave’s orders because they never forgot how the Clave treated their parents, their real parents. I’ve watched Tobias be hounded by demons because he was marked by them. The Clave thought he ran away because he was a coward. They even blamed a warlock for making him go mad, just so that they could have one more reason to hunt us down, not that they needed one anyway. I watched how the Clave felt entitled to claim his wife’s life in exchange for his, leaving their child alone on the streets. I watched Cat raise a beautiful Shadowhunter baby boy alongside her own child. Ephraim and Liam Jr. were raised mundane, despite them both being Shadowhunters. I watched her exhaust herself every day keeping the spell that masked their Shadowhunter blood, while still helping me save kids and working as a nurse. You don’t understand… The Clave is dangerous and I’m afraid of them…”

Alec was shocked. He’d only ever heard rumors about such things, but surely, not even the Clave could be that cruel…could they?

“Magnus, are you saying what I think you’re saying? The Clave…”, Alec asked, leaving the question unfinished, his own scent turning sour and hanging heavy in the room.


	8. The beginning of a new era

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec, Magnus, Izzy and Jace come up with a plan to save the kids that are being sacrificed because of the Clave's bigotry and prejudice.
> 
> Together, they change the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading this fic!  
> This, as you've already figured out by now, is the last chapter!
> 
> I hope you enjoyed it and please leave a comment and a kudos below (if you want to, of course 😝)
> 
> As always, thank you so much to my main beta, quarantinedchipslut (check out her work as well, it's really good 😉) and my other lovely beta, sleepchaser!  
> I can't thank you both enough for putting up with my crap and always giving me valuable input. 🙏🙏🙏  
> LOVE YOU!!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

“Magnus, are you saying what I think you’re saying? The Clave…”, Alec asked, leaving the question unfinished, his own scent turning sour and hanging heavy in the room.

“What? That the Clave kills their own, the ones that dare to defy their stupid prejudices and pursue and love their Downworlder soulmates? That they kill the Shadowhunter children resulted from such unions or just leave them to die on the streets at the hands of demons? That’s exactly what I’m saying, Alexander and it just shows how much you know about the Clave since you haven’t even heard of the things I’m telling you right now.”, Magnus said, his scent bitter and his voice viciously low. He knew he shouldn’t be taking his anger and frustrations out on Alec, it wasn’t his fault that he was part of a people that thrived on killing ruthlessly, but he couldn’t help it. Alec made it so easy to vent and unload that burden that he had had to carry in his soul for hundreds of years. It felt freeing.

“Magnus, I didn’t know, I’ve only ever heard stories from Shadowhunters that were considered deserters, so nobody believed them, including myself. I guess that was a ploy of the Clave too. I’ll start looking into it right away and you have my full support with whatever you need. I am so sorry… I never even realized how vicious and downright cruel the Clave really was. Now I understand why the Downworld leaders laughed in my face when I told them I want to establish a better connection between the New York Institute and the New York Downworld.”, Alec said bitterly. “But it’s true! I want to change that mentality and the laws that have allowed Shadowhunters to act like gods amongst the people of the Shadow World. I won’t let anything happen to you or your loved ones and I want to help you in rescuing these children. We can use my Institute as temporary refuge for them and since we, the Shadowhunters, didn’t know about what the Clave had been doing for, I’m guessing, hundreds of years or more, they can’t use laws to make me evict them since the kids are Shadowhunters.” Alec’s scent had become musky, earthy and strong, potent. He was ready to fight and protect with all that he had. “Unfortunately, I won’t be able to take in the Downworld children as well since there’s still that stupid law in place that says that Downworlders aren’t allowed in the Institute freely”, Alec said thinking aloud “but I’ll change that too. I want to help you.”, Alec said, his eyes sincere. There was a flame in them that Magnus felt would melt the ice around his heart.

Magnus stepped closer to Alec and placed a hand on his cheek.

“You’d do that for me?”, he asked in a small voice.

“Magnus, I’d do anything for you. I’d take on the world, all the worlds for you. And I want to be here for you, especially since this isn’t just about you, but also about innocent souls being abandoned by the very people that were supposed to protect them.”, Alec said, his right hand coming to rest on Magnus’ waist. 

Magnus relaxed into the Alpha’s hold and Alec lifted his left hand as well, his arms gently coming around the warlock.

“I’m scared, Alexander. Catarina lost her soulmate because the Clave found out about their relationship and sent him on a suicide mission, to “die a hero” they said. She felt her soulmate die. She watched her children die, her Liam Jr. and the lovely Ephraim. I don’t know if I am strong enough for that. I can’t lose you and I definitely can’t lose our children.” Magnus was silently sobbing and his hands were gripping Alec’s old, black, discolored t-shirt.

“I can’t promise you that I will make it home every night without a scratch on me, but I can promise you that I will do my very best to always come back to you. I’ll stand by you and protect you and the children you help. I will love and cherish you as no other has done before me and I will make you my priority. And when our children will come into this world, I’ll make sure that no harm ever comes to them. We’ll raise them together to be prepared for the dangers of the world, but they will always know that no matter what happens, they have loving parents and a stable home they can always come back to. I’ll protect all of you with my last breath against the Clave, the Downworld, the demons, even the angels, if I have to. There is nothing more important to me than you and what is important to you is important to me.”

Alec gingerly kissed Magnus’ forehead and cupped his face to look into his eyes.

“Magnus, I want everything you’re willing to give me and an immortal life next to you sounds like heaven to me. There is nothing I’d want in this life more than to spend every second showing you that my love has no limits. Please let me love you.”

Alec’s eyes held no uncertainty or fear. The only feelings Magnus could see in them was unbridled, limitless love and gentle care, the same feelings he could feel through their partial bond. His arms came around Alec and shyly hugged him back.

“I’ll never let the Clave anywhere near you or our children, Magnus, and when they are born, we will deal with them being Shadowhunter or warlock together. Because I’ll be here every step of the way. I’m willing to change the world, if need be, just so that I could spend this lifetime and however many others you are willing to give me by your side. My future has never looked brighter than it has now, with you in my arms. And this mission that you have dedicated your life to, I’m going to stand by your side and support and help you.” Alec was slowly rocking them from side to side, using his scent to calm down this beautiful Omega that he was holding in his arms. The morning was slowly turning into a sunny day that promised love and acceptance and a future as bright as the sun.

“Can I really have this? Can I really have you?” Magnus whispered, his voice trembling and vulnerable.

“Magnus, that’s _my_ question to ask. You are incredible and kind and beautiful and I can’t believe that you would choose someone like me. Even my dreams weren’t as beautiful as the reality that is you.” Alec squeezed Magnus a bit harder into his arms before he pulled back to look into Magnus’ eyes.

“May I kiss you? Please?” Alec’s expression was open and the soft sun behind him made him look like an angel with a halo around his black unruly hair. The entire scene looked and felt surreal.

“Y-Yes…”

Alec leaned in and kissed Magnus’ forehead so softly he barely felt it. Alec smiled at Magnus and continued down on the bridge of his nose with the same feather-like kisses that made Magnus’ heart skip about in his chest. He next kissed Magnus’ cheeks, all the while whispering how beautiful, how kind and adorable he is, how much he loves him.

By the time Alec finally kisses Magnus’ lips, Magnus is all but melted and trembling into his arms. Alec’s kiss is soft, loving, carefully mapping out every millimeter of his lips. Alec’s lips glide slowly over Magnus’ with a familiarity that Magnus hadn’t expected. The love Alec is pouring into this kiss is so overwhelming Magnus forgets how to breathe.

Alec doesn’t try to deepen the kiss, keeping it light and loving and caring. He is overjoyed that Magnus is willing to accept him and feels no need to hurry. After all, eternity might just be enough time to court and woo and love the beautiful man gently cradled in his arms.

When they break apart, Magnus unconsciously chases Alec’s lips, wanting to drown more in that unquenchable love. Alec smiles fondly and pecks Magnus’ lips one more time.

Alec rests his forehead against Magnus’ and tries to gather up his courage to look Magnus in the eyes.

“Are you ok…with this?” Alec asks him and his voice wavers with uncertainty for the first time since they woke up. He looks Magnus in the eyes and Magnus can see the same uncertainty in those beautiful hazel eyes that he heard in his voice.

Alec doesn’t want to admit it, but Magnus’ rejection still hurts and still haunts him and he’s scared that it might happen again, especially since he now knows why Magnus has been pushing him away so strongly.

“I wouldn’t have let you kiss me if I wasn’t.” Magnus finally smiles and it’s a bright, sunny smile that Alec can’t get enough of.

“Yeah?” Alec’s smile matches Magnus’.

“Yes, of course.”

Alec can’t hold himself back anymore and he hugs Magnus and starts spinning him around the room.

”I’m so happy! I can’t even tell you how happy you’ve just made me! I’ll do everything I can and more to make you even happier than you’ve made me now!”

Magnus was surprised and wrapped his arms around Alec’s shoulders to steady himself. He started laughing at Alec’s infectious laugh and he felt the happiness the Alpha was emitting in waves. Magnus felt like everything was right in this world and decided to ignore that small voice that was still screaming at him to run away and never look back.

Alec finally placed him back on his feet, not before hugging him tight again.

“I want to kiss you again. May I?” Alec’s hopeful eyes were rather green than light brown now. _Oh, so that’s what Alec’s happiness looks like._

“I don’t think you have to ask from now on, darling.” Magnus said smiling.

Alec sat down on the couch and tugged Magnus down with him, sitting Magnus on his lap, Magnus’ legs across Alec’s.

“Is this ok?” Alec asked softly.

“Yes.”

Alec didn’t kiss Magnus, instead he hugged him to his chest and let all the tension he felt drain out of him. He nuzzled into the Omega’s neck, inhaling deeply his sweet scent and rubbed Magnus’ back gently. Magnus let himself sink into the Alpha’s embrace, enjoying the warmth and love he could feel, basking in the attention Alec was giving him and relaxing when the Alpha’s scent was surrounding him.

After a little while, Magnus stirred for a bit and asked Alec “Weren’t you going to kiss me again?”

Magnus felt the butterflies take flight in his tummy, the anticipation killing him.

“I’m trying to take things slow, love. I want to cherish you, love you, properly romance you. I want to earn your sweet kisses.” Alec said honestly.

“But I want you to kiss me.” Magnus said, pouting a bit.

Alec chuckled at the adorable Omega that fit so perfectly in his arms and just as he was going to kiss Magnus again, his phone goes off. Alec reaches for it and sees it’s Izzy.

“I have to take this, I’m sorry.” Alec said apologetically.

“Oh, yes, of course.”

When Magnus moved to get off Alec’s lap, Alec caught him around the waist and held him in place. Magnus turned and saw that Alec’s eyes were sparkling with mirth and love.

“Hi, Izzy! What’s up?” Alec asked.

_“I called to tell you that Jace was released and Aldertree was arrested after Jace testified that Aldertree was trying to stall him from stopping Valentine. Since Jace was holding the Soul Sword at the time, the Clave didn’t even think twice before sentencing Aldertree to life in prison for high treason.”_

“Oh, my God, Izzy, that’s great! Do you need me to come in and take care of the talks with the Clave?” Alec asked, hoping the answer would be no.

 _“No, I have everything under control, hermano. But if you have a bit of time, Jace has been making hand signals at me for the past 10 minutes to give him the phone. He seems to want to talk to you.”_ Alec heard Jace groan and shout an “Of course I want to!” at Izzy, making him laugh. _“Should I pass him the phone?”_ Izzy said with a laugh.

“Yes, Izzy, of course!”, said Alec rolling his eyes at his siblings’ antics. Jace’s voice was the one that boomed through the phone next.

 _“I swear she’s evil sometimes! Ouch! She just slapped me across the back of my head!”_ Jace complained.

“Could you kids stop it for a minute and tell me how _you_ are feeling?” Alec asked, using his older brother voice. Magnus was snickering quietly in his lap.

 _“I’m ok, Alec.”_ Jace said in a serious voice. _“I knew that whatever Aldertree was trying to pin on me, that it wouldn’t work if I was interrogated by the Silent Brothers. Izzy made the arrangements and as soon as I was done, they let me free and incarcerated Aldertree. Apparently, he failed his test.”_ Jace said chuckling. _“Nevermind me, how are you? I feel that you’re happy now. Did something good happen with Magnus?”_

Magnus could hear the entire conversation and blushed when he heard Jace. He couldn’t help but feel happy himself that Jace knew immediately that the only reason Alec was happy now was because they were together.

Alec observed Magnus carefully, slowly caressing his back.

“Yes, we’re good now. We talked it out and we decided to give it a try. I’m with him right now. Listen, I need you to grab Izzy and wait for me and Magnus in my office. Make sure we’re alone, got it? We’ll be there shortly.” Alec said, knowing that the conversation about what the Clave had been doing for centuries needs to be had now, even if he wanted to have this time alone with Magnus.

 _“Ok, sure. Is everything ok?”,_ Jace asked, his voice betraying worry and tension.

“Yeah, everything is fine, but I need to talk to the both of you as soon as possible.”, Alec said, his voice serious.

 _“Got it. We’ll be waiting for you.”,_ Jace said and hung up.

Alec put his phone away and looked at Magnus. He was tense in Alec’s lap and didn’t know exactly what Alec wanted to talk about with his siblings.

“We need to tell them about the Clave. They need to know so they can be on the lookout for the abandoned children and Clave assassins.”, Alec said, his voice grave and his scent bitter.

Magnus relaxed a bit and nodded.

“Of course. They need to be prepared, especially since we want to stand up against the Clave. But Alexander, you have to understand that this has to be kept under wraps. With Valentine’s arrival, the envoys from the Clave, the constant magnifying glass your parents keep you under… It could get very dangerous very fast for the three of you and I can’t be the one that puts all of you in that kind of danger.”, Magnus said, his voice urgent and shaky.

“You aren’t the one that is putting us in danger, Magnus. It’s the Clave, so you can’t take responsibility for that.”, Alec said, his voice gentle, but his scent strong and musky.

Magnus fell against his chest and rubbed his cheek against Alec’s, scenting him. A second later, he froze realizing what he’d done.

“I-I’m so sorry, Alexander, I didn’t mean to.”

Magnus used the sleeve of his silk shirt to try and rub his scent off Alec’s cheek, but Alec caught his wrist and leant in. He slowly rubbed his face against Magnus’, sighing deeply in contentment.

“I can’t tell you how happy I am that you want to make me yours. Please scent me again.”, Alec said, his voice full of emotions and warmth.

Magnus started rubbing his cheek against Alec’s again slowly, afraid that Alec might pull back. Except that he didn’t.

They spent a couple of minutes scenting each other, relishing in each other’s loving scent and reverent touches.

Eventually, they got up and walked hand in hand through the portal Magnus had created. They stepped out in front of the Institute and Alec leant in to press a kiss atop Magnus’ cheek before they walked in and resumed their respective roles.

The walk from the Institute’s doors to his office was short and uninterrupted, the Shadowhunters in his command steering away from their Head when they noticed the tight expression he wore on his face and the strong, overpowering scent surrounding him.

Alec and Magnus walked inside the office, Alec immediately drawing a Silence rune on the door and locking it. He turned to Izzy and Jace, both standing in front of his desk, tense and worried. It was not often that Alec would require that much secrecy from them.

“Jace, have you made sure that we’re not being monitored or listened to?”, Alec asked in his Head of the Institute voice.

“Yes, I swept the office three times with Izzy. What’s wrong? You’re worrying us.”, Jace said, falling in his soldier stance.

Alec gestured for Magnus to speak, so he started carefully and told the two Shadowhunters everything he had told Alec just an hour ago.

When he finished, Jace looked horrified and Izzy was crying.

“How could they… We never even thought that… How could they?!”, Izzy yelled, her voice broken and hurt, her Alpha scent bitter. Her usual lily scent was nowhere to be found.

“You…you can’t be serious. All those lives…destroyed by the Clave…”, Jace’s eyes were darting around the room, the look in them haunted and hurt.

“We have to do something. This cannot continue! They do not have the right to decide who lives and who dies!”, Izzy said, angrily wiping her cheeks and smudging her eyeliner further.

Magnus extended his hand to her, silently asking for permission, which she gave with a quick head nod and he caressed the skin under her eyes, redoing her make-up and removing any evidence of tears from her face.

“From now on, all the Shadowhunter children found on the streets will be taken in by the New York Institute. There is no rule or law in place right now that states we cannot get involved with Shadowhunters resulted from the union of a Shadowhunter and a Downworlder. The Clave can’t actually enforce such a law without a very strong backlash from both Shadowhunters and Downworlders for a couple of reasons. First, the Circle uprising has already created a huge strain on the relationships within the Shadow World and if the Downworlders start a rebellion, the Clave is bound to lose. Second of all, they have no power over how soulmates work and making an official stand against soulmates would be making an official stand against the angels, which, again, is not something they can do. They will most certainly try harder than they had up until now to remove me from my position as Head, but if I have the support of my Institute and the Downworld, I can definitely fight back. The problem is that I have to convince my own Shadowhunters to support me. I’ve barely managed to get them used to the idea that from now on, Downworders are welcome in my Institute and nothing they say will change that.”, Alec said, passing his hand through his hair constantly, disheveling it beyond repair.

“We are fiercely loyal to our own, Alec. They won’t blink twice when they hear that Shadowhunter children are in danger, no matter what lies the Clave had been feeding us until now.”, Jace said, crossing his arms across his chest.

“Besides, we can always get rid of the Shadowhunters that question your authority. I won’t let anyone hurt one more child, no matter who they are!”, Izzy said, her voice angry and her scent dangerous.

After that, they set up a plan to find out which Shadowhunter was loyal to Alec and which would rat on him to the Clave. They singled out three Shadowhunters, Raj being the first one, and they were transferred to another Institute.

Alec held a meeting with the rest of his Shadowhunters, telling them that he had been informed of Shadowhunter children being left on the streets to die. He omitted saying where the information was from or why the children were on the streets in the first place, stating that that was a need-to-know information he himself did not possess.

With that in mind, the Shadowhunters in his command began to bring to the Institute all the abandoned children pertaining to the Shadow World, the Downworders being taken in and cared for by Magnus, Raphael and Luke.

The word spread out to the other Institutes of the world and the ones that had already started improving their relationship with their Downworlders, also started rescuing the children from the streets.

Alec pushed for the Shadowhunters’ Academy to be opened again and he also built a home for Shadowhunters with no parents next to the Academy. He, Izzy, Jace and Magnus were part-time professors at the Academy.

The Clave was completely unaware of what Alexander Lightwood was doing until it was too late for them to reinforce their bigoted and prejudiced laws on the Shadowhunters. Alexander Lightwood’s support system composed of the entire Downworld and the world’s Institutes that recognized the need for change was overwhelming and too strong to fight against. By popular demand and majority of votes, he became the new Inquisitor, of course, demanding that Magnus be named the High Warlock of Alicante.

The Lightwoods, together with the Downworld, managed to stop the Circle, kill Valentine and de-rune the Clave members that were helping Valentine in his mad dash towards supremacy by stepping on Downworlders’ bodies.

The change that nobody believed would ever take place, but everybody was hoping for was finally happening. The Shadow World was living in peace, all of them working together to protect the mundanes and each other from the demons that managed to breach the barriers between Hell and the human plane.

Alec, together with Isabelle, the Heads of the Institutes around the world and all the Downworld leaders rewrote the laws of the Clave to be more inclusive of the Downworld. The final version was signed by Alexander Lightwood, the Inquisitor of the Clave, Magnus Bane, High Warlock of Alicante, Raphael Santiago, representative of the Vampire Clan, Maia Roberts, representative of the Werewolves’ Global Pack and the Seelie Queen.

The beginning of a new era had been marked.


End file.
